Where Billy the Kid Grew Up

If you are an old western buff, you may think Silver City, New Mexico is a must see town. And it is true that their downtown looks historic and the town itself still has the old west feel. But, other than that, you will probably be very disappointed.

Unlike other old west towns that have built on their history with fun tourist sites and attractions like gun fights and wagon rides, Silver City seems to have quite a few teens skateboarding up and down the street and meeting up to talk trash to one another.

The stores are less than inviting with groups of kids sitting on the sidewalk and filling the benches outside. There isn’t any clean café’s on the main street and, to be honest, the sinking disappointment of a long drive wasted took the charm out of this town.

The only interesting stores are to be to the north of Main Street but, because the town closes at an early hour and no entertainment can be found at night, not even a movie theater, the stores stay hidden.

Being home to the notorious Billy the Kid in his youth could have made an interesting walking tour, but every site we visited had been torn down with local government parking lots filling the space. One cabin was remade and donated by Ron Howard just off of Main Street, but it was out of place on the busy street with no other reconstructed historical markers. Reenactments of Billy the Kid events were nowhere to be found either.

If you go to Silver City, use it instead as a jumping off point to more interesting attractions. The Gila Forest is incredibly beautiful and not well traveled. Pull off on your drive and check out the amazing vistas.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings are not too far and you will need at least a full day to explore them in their entirety. It is a mystery where the inhabitants went after settling in the cliffs. Their way of life was very advanced for their time, so you would think the oral history of their move would have survived. There are different theories as to what happened and after you visit the site you may have your own version of what happened.

The Cat Walk is another great adventure and lies not too far from Silver City. This hike through a slotted canyon with a strong running creek accommodates both the old and young with easy ramps, wide paths, and railings to hold on to. This spot can easily fill your day, just keep in mind that when you return to Silver City, there isn’t much to do after 5 o’clock.

We searched for the fish hatchery on our way to the Cat Walk, but only found one sign and it didn’t lead us to anything. Be sure to pull off on the highway on your way to the Cat Walk to experience a most deafening silence. The view is majestic and your ears will never hear anything so purely quiet as a moment at this turnoff at the Leopold Vista on US 180 M63.6.