Which bird species do you think is the biggest attraction to visitors of your lodge (please only name one species)?
Montezuma Quail
What is the name of your lodge, and since when has your lodge been operating?
Bear Mountain Lodge- it was built in 1928 and has been in use since 1928, mostly for outdoor nature-based activities.
How best to travel to your lodge?
By airplane or car. We are a 3-hour drive from El Paso, Texas and 3 hours from Tucson. Grant County Airport has flights from Albuquerque, New Mexico and Phoenix, Arizona.
What kind of services – except for accommodation and food – does your lodge offer to visiting birders?
- We do guided bird, historic, and nature-based tours by reservation.
- We have two ponds for viewing and 180 acres of hiking trails and birding.
- The property borders the Gila National Forest on two sides. The Gila National Forest is 3.3 million acres-a nice backyard.
- The Gila National Forest is the largest and oldest Wilderness Area in the Continental United States. The Lodge is ½ mile to the Continental Divide, a birding superhighway. And we do have feeders.
What makes your lodge special?
- Location by the Continental Divide and Wilderness Area; we have three divest habitats-riparian, pinyon-Juniper Woodlands, and grasslands.
- The Lodge was built in 1928; it has unique southwestern-style architecture.
- We have filled it with original artworks, have an award-winning café, and are locally owned.
What are the 10 – 20 most interesting birds that your lodge offers good chances to see?
- Great Roadrunner (State Bird)
- Montezuma Quail
- Williamson Sapsucker
- Common Raven
- Chihuahuan Raven
- Pine Siskin
- Say’s Phoebe
- Mexican Jay
- Lucifer Hummingbird
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Steller’s Jay
- Hepatic Tanager
- Black Chin Hummingbird
- Spotted Towhee
- Turkey Vulture
- Acorn Woodpecker
- Great Horned Owl
- Yellow-Rumped Warbler
- Gambel’s Quail
What is the best time to visit your lodge, and why?
- Spring and Fall- lots of bird migration.
- Summer- hummingbirds and butterflies.
Is your lodge involved in conservation efforts? If yes, please describe them.
- Yes, we have two ponds for wildlife.
- The 180 acres are under conservation easement; it cannot be subdivided.
- We have been part of the Chihuahuan Leopard Frog Program.
- We are part of the national bird count, and the University uses part of the property as a lab.
What other suggestions can you give to birders interested in visiting your lodge?
We are at 6,400 feet in elevation. The nights can be cool even in the Summer, so bring layers, sunscreen, a hat with a bill, two pairs of shoes (if it’s monsoon season), and sunglasses.
Do you have activities for non-birders? If so, please describe.
The Lodge and Town of Silver City are known for their art. The history of the area is multi-cultural, and it was the Wild West not that long ago.
Western New Mexico University has a wonderful collection of Mimbreno Pottery-some of the most unique and beautiful ceramics in the world. The Mimbreno Culture dates to AD 200.
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is an archaeological site from AD 1270-1300. A wonderful day trip from Silver City, New Mexico.
If any reader of 10,000 Birds is interested in staying at your lodge, how can they best contact you?
- Website-www.bearmountainlodge.com
- Email- info@bearmountainlodge.com
- Phone 1-575-538-2538
Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers of 10,000 Birds?
Silver City is a great place to visit, to learn about the wildlife, the Mimbreno culture, and the present-day town of museums, art galleries, and local cuisine.
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