The hike begins at an elevation of approximately 7,620 feet at the intersection of Turkey Canyon and Bonito Creek. The trail climbs steadily up Turkey Canyon, loops around to Argentina Spring and then back to Turkey Canyon.

To reach the trailhead, take Hwy 48 north out of Ruidoso approximately 10 miles to the junction with Hwy 37 . Turn left onto Hwy 37 and go approximately 2 miles to the intersection with United States Forest Service (USFS) Road 107. Turn left onto USFS Road 107 (Bonito Lake Road) and go approximately 8 miles to the trailhead located on the right of the road. The trailhead is situated about 100 yards past some private dwellings located on Bonito Creek. The road is narrow and paved up until the last 4 miles. The last 4 miles of road consists of improved dirt but is passable by car.

The hike begins on Turkey Canyon Trail (40) which climbs slowly up Turkey Canyon with several stream crossings in the first 1/4 mile. However, the water flow is small and the stream is easily crossed.

The White Mountain Wilderness boundary is located approximately 1/2 mile from the trailhead and is marked with a sign. Immediately to the left of the sign is the partially caved entrance of a mine adit.

Proceed up the canyon another 600 yards where an entrance of another mine is present just to the right of the trail. The mine is approximately 4-feet wide by 7-feet high and extends a considerable distance into the slope. Note the 1-foot wide, oxidized quartz vein just above the mine entrance.

The aforementioned mines are the most easily located of all the workings in Turkey Canyon. Overall, there are probably greater than 50 adits, shafts and prospect pits located in this drainage. Most are obscured due to overgrowth. Many of the workings date back to the late 1800's and early 1900's. The majority of the workings were located along fracture-filling quartz veins. The ore produced was generally of low grade with silver being the most abundant metal.

As the trail steadily climbs into upper Turkey Canyon, numerous Gambel oak stands begin to appear interspersed within the conifers which dominate the lower canyon. A fork in the trail is shown on the White Mountain Wilderness topographic map in the uppermost portion of Turkey Canyon. The right fork that proceeds north toward Turkey Spring is the continuation of Turkey Canyon Trail (40). A sign is present in the creek bottom that points the way. The left fork of the trail that is shown on the USFS topo map to proceed west toward an unnamed spring is no longer maintained and is not recommended. Turkey Canyon Trail (40) begins a moderate ascent through a Gambel oak grove and terminates at the intersection with Trail 25 (Crest Trail) at Turkey Spring. The Gambel oaks create a canopy over the trail through this stretch.

Turkey Spring is actually more of a seep than it is a spring. A stock watering-trough and what appears to be a log corral are present here. A closer examination reveals that the "corral" is completely enclosed and does not have a gate. The enclosure's purpose is to protect the seep area from horses and livestock. A source of good water is not available at Turkey Spring unless you consider a stock trough good. In fact, a minimum of two quarts of drinking water per person should be carried on this hike as horse traffic is high along this route and all water present should be viewed as questionable for drinking even if it is disinfected.

To make this hike into an easy-difficulty rating, turn back at Turkey Spring and retrace the route back to the trailhead. Otherwise, continue westward on the Crest Trail. This portion of trail proceeds along the top of an escarpment that is traceable along the entire perimeter of upper Turkey Canyon. Just past the intersection with the Clear Water Trail (42), the Crest Trail crosses over the watershed divide of the Sacramento Mountains with a spectacular view of the Malpais Lava Flow and the Tularosa Basin to the northwest. Nogal Peak is now very prominent to the east.

The Crest Trail skirts along the western side of the divide for approximately 1 mile before it intersects with Clear Water Trail (42) again just above Argentina Spring.

At the intersection of the Crest and Clear Water Trails (which is marked with a sign), follow Clear Water Trail (42) west about 150 yards to Argentina Spring. A protective log enclosure and stock watering-trough are also present at Argentina Spring. A small pool of water is present in the rocks where drinking water can be obtained during wet seasons. Overall, Argentina Spring consists primarily of a series of seeps with only minor flow.

Continue to follow Clear Water Trail (42) toward the east through some open meadows and stands of Gambel oak for about 1 mile until it intersects with Crest Trail (25) again. Approximately 40 elk were present on the high ridge just west of this intersection the last time I visited the area.

The remainder of the hike consists of retracing the route back to Turkey Spring on the Crest Trail and then descending the Turkey Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.

Camping locations are abundant along most of the loop. However, the only semi-reliable water sources are along lower Turkey Canyon, Argentina Spring and possibly Turkey Spring. Camping anywhere else would require packing water.

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