Circle Seven Creek Camping 2018- Gila National Forest

Circle Seven Valley

  IMPORTANT UPDATE (June, 2022):  This area is within the Black Fire and is mostly likely significantly altered from what is pictured here.

The road to Circle 7 Creek is rough. With a trailer in tow, it took  us nearly an hour to drive the 15 or so miles from Winston, climbing in and out of the three drainages (Chloride/Cuchillo, Monument and North Palomas). But it was  worth it when we were finally looking down into the open meadows and widely spaced ponderosa pines of the Circle 7 valley.  It's hard to do justice to the way it makes us feel. We've camped here 4 or 5 times and we'll probably come back a few more times before we're done.

 We hiked down the road and the cowpaths beside the streambed in the evenings, once to the old homestead on Whiskey Spring Creek, another time to the campsite we used a couple of years ago. There's always something more, something different to see each time we walk it,  and I wonder how those rock formations, or that pine stand on the south side escaped my notice before.



We parked our little Casita just a short ways down on FR 730 from the windmill and well at its intersection with FR 157. Turkey feathers were everywhere at the large site, so I guess turkey hunters had been also.
We saw bats in evening, and watched the full moon rise to throw moonshadows over the silent junipers and oaks.


 It's dry there this spring. The only water for miles around was coming from the still pumping windmills where birds perched on the metal rim of the low tank to sip. I talked to one couple who passed by in their pick-up out for day drive, but otherwise saw only one other vehicle for three days.
So remote, so peaceful, so beautiful, it seems no wonder that settlers tried to make a home here, although they probably had other interests on their minds.
Go out there once if you can, it will calm your soul.