Gomez peak trail signage

[jim york]

The USFS press release below discusses new trail signage but does not seem to jive with what riders are seeing on the ground. Are the 19 markers for non-system trails (these signs are "not intended to restrict user access”) the same as the new signs that say “Trail Closed for soil and wildlife protection”? 

Feed back from those who ride there more than me welcome.

Jim 

Gomez Peak trail system improved

New signs and maps reduce confusion, improve user experience and safety

 

Silver City, NM, August 22, 2025—Trail crews from the Silver City and Glenwood ranger districts recently teamed up to complete a trail sign project on the Gomez Peak trail system. The new signs are placed at trail junctions for improved navigability of the dense network of non-motorized trails.  

 

The trail system contains approximately 10 miles of designated trails, as well as approximately four miles of non-system routes that are commonly used. Together, the crews removed 70 confusing, mismatched signs and installed 14 new signs that identify individual trails and provide maps at key trail junctions. Another 19 markers were installed to help users recognize non-system routes for ease of navigation – not intended to restrict user access.

 

In addition to the new signs, the crews rebuilt a collapsed rock wall and naturalized abandoned non-system trails throughout the trail network.

 

The Silver City Ranger District solicited feedback on sign design from trail users last fall through temporary signage including a QR code that visitors could scan to provide comments. The comments that were received were incorporated into the final design and sign plan.

[jim york]

I contacted the USFS to get an answer to my own question below. The short answer is that the non-system trails, also called undeveloped primitive trails, are all marked on posts in the ground as “Trail Closed for soil and wildlife protection”, but “closed” does not really mean closed, and they are looking into using markers such as “non-maintained primitive trail”. Non-motorized travel is allowed on all the trails, both officially developed and undeveloped ones, but the USFS prefers that we use developed trails, also called system trails.  

As was the case previously, the developed trails have names and the junctions have numbers and a map is posted at each junction. The names are the same, but some junctions have been renumbered. For those of us who cannot learn new things, we will have to say something like “meet you at the trail junction formerly known as 12” (it’s now junction 11).

JIm 

On Aug 23, 2025, at 2:36 PM, jim york <jimyo...@gmail.com> wrote:

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