Trip report July 2005 by Richard L. Carey.
Whitewater Baldy is ranked 10th in prominence in New Mexico and is located in the Gila Wilderness Area east of the small town of Mogollon. It is the highest point in Catron County and also the highpoint of the Mogollon Mountains.
Getting to the peak: The peak is most easily reached by driving in from the west from highway 180 on the road going east to Mogollon. This road is highway 159 and is found about 4 miles north of Glenwood. Take this road, which has a narrow, one-lane section NOT recommended for trailers or large RV’s, to the quaint old mining town of Mogollon. East of the town the road turns to good, graded dirt and continue on this to Sandy Point, about 17.4 miles from highway 180. Sandy Point is a large parking area with toilet and the trailhead is marked on the south side of the road. You could camp here if necessary.
Hike details: Hike the very good trail southeast from Sandy Point to Hummingbird Saddle shown on the map. The trail through the forest is very pleasant with long flat sections. At the saddle there is a trail junction and sign. To the right of the sign note a cairn and follow the use trail up the slopes to the summit at the south end of the plateau. Look for a register at the base of the large stone cairn at the highpoint. The top is forested and not bald and no whitewater is anywhere near here so the name is not very appropriate. Anyway, it is an easy 10.4 mile round-trip hike with a gain of about 1800 ft. Allow about 2 ½ hours up and 2 hours back.
Maps: Grouse Mountain, 1:24,000 scale topo map, 1965. Gila National Forest map.