Casitas de Gila Guesthouses

Kudos to Becky and Michael O’Conner for having the foresight to set aside a 265-acre nature preserve in the rugged landscape of SW New Mexico, AND for their willingness to share it with those of us who love such incredible places. As a retired wildlife biologist, I highly recommend reserving one of their comfy casitas and enjoying all that it and the surrounding diversity of habitats have to offer. The beauty of Bear Creek is striking even in winter, and I hope to return when the cottonwoods and sycamores show their summer verdancy or fall splendor. Don’t miss this impressive lodging northwest of Silver City.

First the plus side . . . The casitas are comfortable, well-designed and equipped with everything you could possibly need, and the surroundings are beautiful. We greatly enjoyed the space around us.||On the down side . . . The expection is that in such a remote place you will find peace, quiet and privacy, which we did because we were the only guests there. In reality, the casitas are very close together (ours shared a wall with our neighbor) and if they had all been occupied we would not have had the quiet, private experience we were seeking. ||We chose this particular venue because it was remote and the brochure said it had 7+ miles of hiking trails, We intended to park our car and spend the weekend hiking wihout ever having to drive anywhere else. What we did not know, was that the majority of the trails were on the other side of the creek and the creek had flooded so the trails were inaccesible. Prior to our departure, I wrote a note to Becky, the owner, complimenting her on the facilities but mentioning that we would have like to have been told before our arrival about the creek situation and offered the opportunity to reschedule. (They did know we wouldn't be able to hike well ahead of our arrival as the creek had been impassible for awhile).||Becky called me immediately and was very defensive. She said she wasn't responsible for the creek rising (of course she wasn't!) and if I wanted to know about the conditions I should have called her, it wasn't her responsibility to notify me. Since I had never been there, I had no idea where the trails were, or that the creek might have risen making the trails inaccessible. I was surprised at her hostility and very taken aback. Had she been pleasant, said she was sorry we hadn't had the full experience and she hoped we'd return another time - perhaps even offered us an incentive to do so - we would have left feeling positive about this experience. ||My advice to anyone considering these casitas is to rent the whole thing if you want to be guaranteed of privacy and quiet and to call ahead of time to be sure the facilities you hope to use are available. ||

Thank you to the owners Becky and Michael - they were great. Our casita was awesome. It was clean, cozy and everything has been well thought out. I cannot recommend this place enough. It will be a regular stop on my future travels.

What a wonderful get away. Becky and Michael thought of everything. Our Casita was perfect. Clean, cozy, and comfortable. The remote and beautiful location was the best. From watching 3 young deer frolic in the river bed to watching the Bear Creek come down after a rain. So quite and peaceful. Certainly a "Stress Free Zone". The Gallery had tons of interesting and cool arts and crafts. Our first Empty Nest get away. Couldn't have picked a better place. PS. - Pumpkin Bread is Killer!!!

Exceptional, beautiful and total peace. You must go!!!!! My family loved the stay and Michael and Becky are two amazing people that run this paradise!!!

Our stay at the Casitas de Gila was a dream, despite blazing hot July temperatures. The Casitas were clean, spacious, and the birds on the property and nearby areas were phenomenal. So relaxing; we will be back someday. eBird lists posted.

Spur of the moment trip from Tucson without a plan or place to stay! Found Casitas de Gila while driving and called to see if they could accommodate us for one night and they did. It's always a worry when trying to find a place like this and only booking for one night but it was no problem at Casitas de Gila. Get ready for a 5 mile dirt road to get there but rest assured the road is well maintained and not scary for those traveling in a regular passenger car. As others have mentioned, be sure to grab your supplies in Silver City or bring them with you because once you get to Casitas de Gila, you're not gonna want to leave, especially if it means traveling in the evening! Checked in at the office with Becky and she was kind and friendly. Michael greeted us at our casita and gave us the grand tour. He's a very friendly, knowledgeable man (geologist) who gave us so much information about the land, the history, animals and dark skies. The casita (we were in the bird casita) is so comfortable! Super comfy bed, lots of plush towels and extra blankets/pillows, heated floors, BBQs (charcoal and propane), birdseed to feed the tons of quail, entertainment in the way of board games, books and such, a telescope and lots of stuff for cooking to make your stay enjoyable. All the dishes/cookware you'd need, coffee/tea/filters, spices/seasonings, condiments and included were a fresh half gallon of milk, orange juice, bagels, English muffins, cream cheese, butter, jellies/jams and a delightfully delicious loaf of pumpkin pecan bread that Becky makes. Incredible! We grilled steaks and corn on the Weber grill and enjoyed a night of board games when we weren't outside stargazing. The little art gallery is full of jewelry (Becky makes some), beautiful oil paintings (Michael is a great artist), t-shirts, cups, and plenty of other interesting items. We purchased a t-shirt and cup with the Casitas name on them and bought a very interesting and unique mask made from a gourd. We loved our stay at Casitas de Gila and would love to stay there again!

My wife Deb and I recently spent 10 days at the Casitas de Gila. It was wonderful! The owners/hosts are terrific people and they do a great job in every regard. The casitas are impeccably clean, very comfortable and well-appropriated. The beds are comfortable, the housing is wonderful, the water tastes great, the shower is spacious, and the kitchen is well-stocked. These folks have thought of everything and they provide it well. The view outside outback is absolutely beautiful. The chimenea provides welcome heat while star-gazing, and the stars! Oh my, the stars are mind-bogglingly incredible! This is one of the most special places that we have been lucky enough to stay at over the many years. We are greatly looking forward to returning once again in the future.

Spur of the moment trip from Tucson without a plan or place to stay! Found Casitas de Gila while driving and called to see if they could accommodate us for one night and they did. It's always a worry when trying to find a place like this and only booking for one night but it was no problem at Casitas de Gila. Get ready for a 5 mile dirt road to get there but rest assured the road is well maintained and not scary for those traveling in a regular passenger car. As others have mentioned, be sure to grab your supplies in Silver City or bring them with you because once you get to Casitas de Gila, you're not gonna want to leave, especially if it means traveling in the evening! Checked in at the office with Becky and she was kind and friendly. Michael greeted us at our casita and gave us the grand tour. He's a very friendly, knowledgeable man (geologist) who gave us so much information about the land, the history, animals and dark skies. The casita (we were in the bird casita) is so comfortable! Super comfy bed, lots of plush towels and extra blankets/pillows, heated floors, BBQs (charcoal and propane), birdseed to feed the tons of quail, entertainment in the way of board games, books and such, a telescope and lots of stuff for cooking to make your stay enjoyable. All the dishes/cookware you'd need, coffee/tea/filters, spices/seasonings, condiments and included were a fresh half gallon of milk, orange juice, bagels, English muffins, cream cheese, butter, jellies/jams and a delightfully delicious loaf of pumpkin pecan bread that Becky makes. Incredible! We grilled steaks and corn on the Weber grill and enjoyed a night of board games when we weren't outside stargazing. The little art gallery is full of jewelry (Becky makes some), beautiful oil paintings (Michael is a great artist), t-shirts, cups, and plenty of other interesting items. We purchased a t-shirt and cup with the Casitas name on them and bought a very interesting and unique mask made from a gourd. We loved our stay at Casitas de Gila and would love to stay there again!

My wife discovered this piece of paradise and we cannot wait to return.

We stayed at your lodge in October of 2012. When news of Hurricane Sandy reached us it put a crimp in our plans to return to New York City. When the full moon rose over the hills to the east, it made us feel so fortunate that we were in this spectacularly beautiful place! Here is one of my images I took on the night we were there.

Came all the way from Nevada to be told we cannot walk on the land, very rude at the "office" which we went up to because we had questions. Very disappointed in this was very excited to see the beautiful river and mountains but was stopped right before.

Gorgeous setting, accommodations, and access to nature. Unfortunately, co-owner Becky has an open bias against persons with disabilities. Very unwelcoming toward us and our registered and trained service animal. Unfortunately, this will keep us from returning. I'm concerned for others with disabilities or other differences that she will prohibit from accessing this location because of her prejudices. Not only is it offensive and stigmatizing, it's illegal.

Absolutely loved this place. It was my first introduction to New Mexico and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is way out of the way and just plain beautiful. My recommendation is bring everything you possibly need, because you won't be leaving the mountain during your stay.

Took advantage of the weekend before Labor Day to have an overnight escape from our hometown, just 45 min. away. Very grateful for the chance to have a luxurious friendly experience. Mike & Becky are wonderful hosts and the accommodations could not be more relaxing and comfortable. Of course there's peace + serenity, best night skies, excellent hot tub and dozens of hummingbirds at the feeder. Scenery is stunning and the place just couldn't be better in any way. Gracias!

This is so, so worth the drive to get there! Sweet, comfortable, nicely appointed little houses, great hosts, and breathtakingly beautiful surroundings. Bring all the supplies you need for your trip - the full kitchen makes cooking easy, but the only food available on the mountain was meat for the grill in front of each house. Definitely do wake up in the middle of the night to see the stars - the view is magical. As an added bonus, at least as of our visit, there was no internet, no cell phone reception, and no tv - just a wonderful chance to disconnect and appreciate life. Fantastic!

Nice, separate adobe guest houses, overlooking a small creek. Well equipped (incl. a astronomical telescope!). About 4 miles away from the next village - New Mexico at its best. Make sure you buy your stuff in Silver City - there's no supermarket around. Unfortunately we could only stay one night in this great place.

My wife and I came here for our anniversary. The Casitas and the view are beautiful. Well-stocked kitchen for your culinary desires, though you must bring your own food supplies. Hot tub in the middle of the terrain was cathartic!!! My only negative comment is the host ( Becky) was very curt and to the point. Not the type of host one would expect at a bed am breakfast. But hey, to each their own. It didn't spoil my trip!

My wife stayed here for our honeymoon. We wanted a quiet relaxing getaway. We got just that. Michael and Becky provide one of the best B&B you could imagine. The hot tub was perfect, the cabin was beautiful, and the scenery was second to none. We loved the gallery on site. Michael's oil paintings were fabulous. The steaks they sell were delicious and having a choice of gas or charcoal grill made us happy. Can't forget about the pumpkin pecan bread, Yummy! We hope to return again and enjoy the same experience.

this place is great. saw it in sunset magazine, and wanted to check it out for ourselves. bit of a drive from the airport (3 hours from el paso), but if you want peace, quiet and accomodating hosts with a beautiful background of desert and mountains, this is it. the wood fires every night, NO TV (which is a good thing, although they've got wifi, so you can catch stuff online if you absolutely must), a VERY WELL STOCKED KITCHEN and, again, PEACE AND QUIET! You'll feel remote, without being too remote.