Snow Creek

September 24, 2026

The summer of 2026 has surely been one for the record books! El Niño played havoc with our weather, producing record heat and a near normal monsoon season. The monsoon was on its way out when tropical storms took over, dropping over 13 inches of rain on Silver City by the end of September. After years of extreme drought, the creeks were finally flowing again. When we finally got a few days of cooler weather, I was jonesing for a creekside hike.

We chose the Snow Creek Trail, which drops into Cow Creek from Sheep Corral Road and eventually connects with the Continental Divide Trail.

fancy new interpretive panels at the trailhead

Although this trail seems very lightly traveled, it's part of the Gila Centennial Trail, and there's a very fancy new sign at the trailhead.

Dennis stepping across a sparkling stream

After a short descent on an old logging road, the trail reaches a tributary of Cow Creek, and there was a healthy flow and many tiny pools and waterfalls.

Dennis crouches to photograph mushrooms along the trail

The wildflowers and the mushrooms were prolific, and we had to stop frequently for photographs, so forward progress was limited.

gray green stream wandering through a lush forest

This trail wanders up and down along the Cow Creek drainage, crossing over numerous creeks. The third one we encountered was really roaring, and the sound echoed nicely off the steep and rocky canyon walls.