The Gaylord Canyon Loop is a great hike to get away from the crowds of people that flock to many of the more common trails. An unmarked trailhead and route-finding difficulties in Gaylord Canyon keep the number of hikers low and provide a feeling of solitude.

The hike begins at an elevation of approximately 7,250 feet at the Nogal/Tortolita trailhead located in Nogal Canyon. The trail climbs briefly up an unnamed canyon onto a ridge above Dry Gulch and then descends to Tortolita Canyon. The route loops up Gaylord Canyon and then descends Pennsylvania Canyon back to the Nogal Canyon Road.

To reach the trailhead, take U.S. Hwy 48 north out of Ruidoso approximately 10 miles to the junction with Hwy 37. Turn left onto Hwy 37 and go approximately 9 miles to the intersection with United States Forest Service (USFS) Road 400 just before the village of Nogal. Turn left onto USFS Road 400 (Nogal Canyon Road) and go approximately 3.5 miles to the trailhead located on the right of the road. The trailhead turnoff is unmarked but is situated about 100 yards past the first crossing of Nogal Creek. Look for a dim road on the right just before the 3-strand barb-wire fence appears on each side of the road. USFS Road 400 is an improved dirt road and is passable by car.

The hike starts on Tortolita Canyon Trail (54). The trailhead is located about 100 yards off of Nogal Canyon road and is marked with a sign. The trail dates back to the 1800's when it was originally a wagon road that connected Nogal Canyon and Tortolita Canyon. Portions of the trail have been rerouted since then but some areas can still be recognized as a road.

Tortolita Canyon Trail (54) crosses a dry creek bed and climbs to the ridge separating Nogal Canyon from Dry Gulch. The vegetation along this ridge is dominated by pinyon pine and alligator juniper. Down in the trees of Dry Gulch lie the remains of the some of the largest patented, mining claims in the Nogal Mining District. In fact, the beginning of mining in Lincoln County dates back to 1865 with the discovery of gold placers in Dry Gulch. The largest mine in the area, the Helen Rae, produced gold ore from 1933 to 1938. This area is one of the few in the Sacramento Mountains that is noted for it's gold production rather than silver. A trail leading down into Dry Gulch from Trail 54 is shown on the USFS topographic map, but is not evident anymore. Besides, the mines are located on private property.

The trail follows the ridge above Dry Gulch down toward Tortolita Canyon. Several mineral prospect pits are present on this ridge next to the trail. After following an old barb-wire fence for a couple hundred yards, the trail leaves the ridge and turns west down into Tortolita Canyon. A sign marks this location. To create a hike with an easy difficulty rating, turn around here and retrace the route.

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