The Gilman Tunnels are along the Rio Guadalupe in the Jemez Mountains. Two tall and narrow tunnels were cut through Precambrian granite in the 1920s to facilitate passage of logging trains through the rugged section of Guadalupe Canyon, known as the Guadalupe Box. Logs that were harvested in the western Jemez Mountains in the 1920s were taken by railroad to a sawmill in Bernalillo. The tunnels were enlarged in the 1930s to accommodate larger trucks for the logs which is why they are so tall now. Logs were hauled out of the mountains and then loaded on trains at Gilman logging camp, which was established in 1937 about two miles south of the tunnels. The railroad was shut down by flooding along the Jemez and Guadalupe Rivers in 1941. The highway now occupies the old railroad bed.
The tunnels have been featured in various movies and international movies icluding Maze Rinner: The Scorch Trials, The Lone Ranger, and 3:10 To Yuma.
This area is a personal favorite of mine and a place I take all visitors when I can. In the summer you can hike down to the fall and swim. In the spring the water rages and is a completely different vibe. The whole area is beautiful. The Jemez Mountains are also a part of a volcanic field that has been active for the past 12 million years. (Visit Cache GCANAWN for more info on that!)
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