The Trails Program
Access to wild spaces is essential to our Programs at Natural Curiosity. Most often, that access relies on trails.
About our Trails Program
As soon as we determined we would be able to purchase Hermosa, we began looking for funds and partnerships that would allow us to address critical maintenance needs on the trails within the adjacent Gila National Forest. The 2022 Black Fire that nearly burned down our Field-Station-to-be also did considerable damage to the public lands west of Hermosa. In 2023 we entered a formal agreement with the Gila National Forest to allow us to work with Disaster Relief Funding in the massive Black Fire Recovery Effort – a collaboration of over 8 agencies and organizations working within the Black Fire scar to restore watershed health and build resiliency into the post-fire landscape. That funding has dwindled, but the partnerships have not. In 2026 we are as dedicated as ever to improving public lands and public trails within our area.
Accomplishments to Date…
Since 2023, we have cleared many miles of trail and partnered with organizations including the Forest Service, Conservation Corps of NM, Cottonwood Gulch, Outslope Trail Solutions, and others. Over three seasons, we’ve cleared 56.7 miles of trail; improved or built 27,800 feet of tread; removed 473 logs; constructed 17 rock walls; installed 6 switchbacks; and completed 93 pack trips to support trail crews doing this important work.
Before
After