Dry Gallinas Canyon, 30 miles, US180E to SH152, several improved/dispersed campgrounds
Google Maps view
Dry Gallinas Canyon is a wonderfully rugged area, several hundred feet deep, with SH152 following Iron Creek for about two miles as they wind through its steep, stony walls...
Iron Creek, roadside view
Upper Gallinas campground is an improved site with three tables close to the creek and a stockpile of road rock.
Upper Gallinas campground
view from campground
Lower Gallinas campground was permanently closed when floods ravaged the canyon in the fall of 2014. I took a short walk in and found the remains of a table, a toilet, and Nature having all but taken over. There is, however, a dispersed site across the road that's a suitable for vehicles with an inch or two more ground clearance than my Smurfy. Hiking is still permissible; it looks pretty dang cool from the little I saw. There's been some effort to reopen it, but it's going on ten years. A lot of work will be needed to get it in decent condition.
Lower Gallinas gate
watch the big dip in the entrance drive,
dispersed site across from campground
Be aware that these campgrounds are deep in the canyon and stay in the shadows longer (read: they get cold), so prepare for "sweats for breakfast, shorts for lunch" temperature shifts. It'll be interesting to come back during the next monsoons.
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