Silver City, NM, December 14, 2018—Early in November, the Wilderness Ranger District turned out their Forest Service horses and mules into the Fort Bayard Administrative Site. This pasture is part of Barrel Springs and the animals can be seen adjacent to the Fort Bayard Hospital Road. There are multiple hiking and mountain biking trails in this area.

District personnel have noted that gates are being left open and much time is spent hunting down and retrieving livestock. In addition, the gates in the area of the Gomez Peak trail are also being left open and cattle are wandering into the Gomez Peak trails area. 

If the gates are left open the animals can wander onto the roads and trails which is a hazard to motorists and trail users. They can also cause trail damage. The Ft. Bayard and Gomez Peak areas are open to the public, but we ask that all gates be closed once you have passed through them.

If you have any questions about the gates, please contact the Silver City Ranger District at (575) 388-8201. For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website here.