About 24 miles south of Silver City, the CDT crosses NM 90 and leads to ridge topped with dazzling white quartz is one of our favorite hikes. The trail meanders gently through a lovely piñon, juniper and scrub oak forest and across a series of sandy washes. Then it opens onto a decomposed granite ridge with stupefying views of the Cooke’s Range, the Black Range and beyond. But the icing on the cake is a final scamper to the top of a small mountain whose summit was capped with the purest white quartz. It’s an unnamed peak on most maps, but we’ve always called it “Quartz Mountain”.
Distance: 4.32 miles (one way)
Ascent: 786′
Trailhead Elevation: 6075′
Directions: From downtown Silver City, head south on NM 90 for 24.2 miles. Turn left on C-Bar Ranch Road. Park on the left at the CDT trailhead.
Area Map
