Kingston, Forest Road 40 E-Gila National Forest

Forest Road 40E begins when the pavement runs out in the little town of Kingston(just off NM 152 about 25 miles from I-25). It rambles on roughly for about 3 miles before ending at the Aldo Leopold Wilderness boundary. Along the way there several steep stream crossings, and a few nice campsites as well. We did camp here way back when in the late nineties,when we were still tent camping. It was little hot for late spring/ summer camping. This was before we learned that spring and especially fall were the best times for camping in the Gila.We poked around the old mine dumps and did walks along Percha Creek. A nice place for exploring,although less remote than some of the other drainages on the east side of the Black Range because of the proximity of the town. Trailers are probably not a good idea here. High clearance four wheel drive may be needed to go past the first mile or so.IMPORTANT UPDATE: Nearby areas have been been burned by the Silver Fire(June, 2013). IMPORTANT UPDATE: Forest Road 40 E has been vastly altered by flooding and other factors in the aftermath of the Silver Fire. Probably only the first mile or mile and half past Kingston are usable at this point, and even that stretch may be a more of an adventure than most folks are looking for. There is little to be gained by trying to get a vehicle in any further( September,2015).