
Signal Peak: Ultimate 4wd destination in NM
Usa, north-america
10.78 km
2,744 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, fellow adventurers, let me tell you about Signal Peak! This baby sits pretty in Grant County, New Mexico, smack-dab in the Gila National Forest. We're talking serious altitude here – 9,002 feet (2,744m)!
The road up, Signal Peak Road (aka Forest Road 154), is a 6.7-mile unpaved path north of Silver City. Translation? Leave your low riders at home! You'll want something with some clearance to tackle this steep climb. Trust me, the views are worth it.
Starting near a *ahem* let's say "challenging" area, you'll ascend 517 meters, with an average gradient of 4.79%. The prize? A fire lookout at the top! From there, you can feast your eyes on most of southwestern New Mexico, the vast Chihuahuan Desert to the south, and the rugged Gila Wilderness to the north. It’s panorama perfection!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 10.78 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,744 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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