Overview
Silver City is a town in the southwestern part of New Mexico, USA. An old mining town, it is undergoing rebirth as a modest high-tech center and jumping-off point to a number of attractive areas in the mountains. The small nearby towns of Bayard, Hurley, etc., are also covered in this article.
1 sights · 2 things to do · 3 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 6 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Silver City
Silver City Museum
Memorabilia of Silver City's mining-town past.
Silver City Blues Festival
Mimbres Region Arts Council
Tickets to the Silver City Blues Festival, Pickamania! Festival, Folk Series, Youth Mural Arts Program, and performance series can be purchased here.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–May, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 91°F; winter lows dip to about 30°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Aug and Jul. (climate data from nearby Chiricahua National Monument)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- SVC Grant County Airport, Silver City — 12 mi away. Directions
- LRU Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces — 86 mi away. Directions
- ELP El Paso International Airport, El Paso — 130 mi away (major hub). Directions
Grant County Airport is served by charter company Advanced Air with non-stop service to Albuquerque and Phoenix. Road access is best from the southeast, via US 180 from Deming, and southwest, via NM 90 from I-10 near Lordsburg. NM 152 connects Silver City to I-25 near Truth or Consequences to the east, and is a scenic and interesting drive, but one with some daunting hairpin curves that may challenge drivers of large, unwieldy vehicles. Access from the north is sharply limited by the roadless Gila Wilderness.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $10 per person at listed restaurants.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Silver City Museum, Silver City Blues Festival
- Lunch Kountry Kitchen
- Afternoon Mimbres Region Arts Council
- Dinner The Drifter
- Evening The Flame
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Plenty of Mexican food around town. All of them do one or two things really well but none are great across the menu.
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
Grant County Airport is served by charter company Advanced Air with non-stop service to Albuquerque and Phoenix. Road access is best from the southeast, via US 180 from Deming, and southwest, via NM 90 from I-10 near Lordsburg. NM 152 connects Silver City to I-25 near Truth or Consequences to the east, and is a scenic and interesting drive, but one with some daunting hairpin curves that may challenge drivers of large, unwieldy vehicles. Access from the north is sharply limited by the roadless Gila Wilderness.
See
Do
Buy
Eat
Plenty of Mexican food around town. All of them do one or two things really well but none are great across the menu.
Drink
Drink The Flame
An interesting experience.
- Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery. 200 N Bullard, 575-956-6144. Serves only the beers and spirits they make. Also pub foods. Happy hour specials. Live music Fridays and Saturdays. Fun place to hang out.
Sleep
Stay Comfort Inn Silver City
Indoor pool & hot tub, free high-speed wireless internet. Entire hotel is non-smoking. Usually one of the first to fill up.
Stay Casitas de Gila Guesthouses
Guesthouses, art gallery, and nature preserve on 265 stress-free acres, just far enough from Silver City to enjoy the incredible quiet and brilliant dark skies that make the Casitas special. Perfectly located to explore all the area's attractions. Full kitchens, seasonal fireplaces, continental breakfast, fantastic views of Gila Wilderness, free wifi. A Sunset Magazine "Top 10 Romantic Escape."
Go next
Silver City's mountain setting allows for a number of fine excursions to outdoor points of interest:
- City of Rocks State Park, south of town via NM 61. Fee $5/day for day use; campground fees start at $8/night and range upward depending on access to hookups, etc. A number of interesting short hikes are possible through weird terrain reminiscent of better-known Chiricahua National Monument across the state line in Arizona (another good, but long, excursion from Silver City).
- Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument north of town, a unit of the national park system. Plan on 1.5 hour drive to the park. Fee $5/day for individuals, $10/day for families; Park Pass applies. Trails to archaeological sites are open for day use from 9AM to 4PM. No lodging at the monument; plan to stay in Silver City. Dry camping is available in two small National Forest campgrounds at park entrance or 5 miles before the park are 2 larger campgrounds, also dry camping. A small commercial campground is about 4 miles before the park entrance at Gila Hot Springs which services tents and small RVs. Doc Campbell's trading post is part of the Gila Hot Springs complex.
- Gila Wilderness is a large roadless area north of town, reachable via any number of trailheads in the area. Good for day hiking and backpacking.
- Pinos Altos is a mining ghost town 6 miles north of Silver City on State Road 15. It has been converted into a tourist attraction and features museums, restaurants, lodging, and art galleries.
Nearby
My experience
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