T212
Gilson Spring Trail

Guadalupe Ranger District
 TL-green-190.jpg
Download
T212
GPS Track
(as .GPX)		Guadalupe Ranger District Trails
T68, T68A, T68E, T212, T214, T215, T217, and T226 are shown as black dashed lines on the map below.
The trail junctions in the Sitting Bull Falls Area are identified with a letter (A-G), red letters on the map.  The photograph at the bottom right shows one such sign.
GuadalupeRD6mc-RTS-r11.jpg

 sitting Bull Falls area trail map

LENGTH:
2.1  miles
ELEVATION:
5020 - 5520 ft
500 ft
difference
DIFFICULTY:
More Difficult
SCENIC
RATING:
2
Contour Interval: 40 feet
Area Topo Map (36 MB)

Six Topo Maps		 DSCN1114-r5.jpg
Route Color Codespaved roads
(red)		FS roads, open
(blue)		FS roads, closed or impassable
(magenta)
main trail(s)
(black dashes)		---connector trail(s)
(green dashes)		---damaged or intermittent trail(s)
(orange over black dashes)		---closed trails(s)
(red over black dashes)		---
Symbolstrailhead
(blue triangle)		 blue-triangle.jpgtrail junction
(blue dot) 		blue-dot.jpgtrail end
(blue square)		 blue-square.jpg

DESCRIPTION:

T212 begins in the tableland just north of the Forest Service Admin Center and descends into Gilson Canyon, where the ruins of the old homestead are still present.  For the most part, T212 follows an old road, no bushwhacking and looking for faint trails.  The official trail runs 2.1 miles and ends short of the homestead.  One can hike 0.5 miles further, past the old corral, to the gravestone of Henry Gilson, born in 1840 and killed in 1883.  On the canyon wall opposite the homestead the green streaks tell where the water for the vital spring emerges.

ACCESS:

To reach  T212, take US285 northwest from Carlsbad (about 12 miles) to 0.6 mile beyond milepost 45 at its junction with NM137, Queen Highway. Turn left and follow the paved road 32 miles to milepost 22.  Then look for a turnoff (north) to Guadalupe Ranger District Administrative Site and the public water hydrant.  This is FR68E.  After crossing the cattle guard, there is an old 68E sign for a dirt road.  Ignore this road; it is in bad shape.  Continue along the west side of the admin buildings, past the service area to a barbed wire gate.  The trailhead for T212 is 1.1 miles along poorly maintained FR68E from NM137.  
LOCATION(S) OF ACCESS POINT(S)
Lat/Lon hddd mm ss.sUTM/NAD83
TrailheadN32 12 54.2
W104 41 01.0		 13 S
529816
3564318
End in CanyonN32 14 02.5
W104 41 00.3		13 S
529828
3566420
GravestoneN32 14 09.5
W104 41 08.0		13 S
529625
3566636

Last Hiked:  2009Web Page Updated: July 2, 2014
Copyright Lynn Melton 2014Contact: LNFTG14@gmail.com