Visiting The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument was established by President Theodore Roosevelt on November 16, 1907.

This 533 acre area in New Mexico protects the Mogollon cliff dwellings found here in the Gila Wilderness. It was added to the National Registry of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. Today it is run by the National Park Service.

In the late 1200’s a group of people of the Mogollon Culture decided to call the Gila Wilderness home.

They built rooms in the cliffs and lived there for about twenty years before moving on. There are about 40 rooms built within five natural caves here. Remains of these structures are still visible today and visitors are permitted to walk through them.

The Visitor Center, Trailhead Museum, Cliff Dweller Trail and Cliff Dwellings are open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm (these hours may vary by season).

All visitors must be off the trail and out of the dwellings by 4:30 pm. The museum and visitor center is staffed by volunteers (if I remember correctly) and may not always be open. Both were closed when we visited.

The Cliff Dweller Trail provides access to the cliff dwellings.

It is located beside the Gila Cliff Dwellings Trailhead Museum and contact station. Even if the visitor center and museum are closed the trail and dwellings are still open for the public to visit.

Staff is usually present at the contact station at the beginning of the trail to answer questions. On our visit a ranger gave us a little history of the dwellings and all the rules we needed to follow while visiting the ruins before we began our hike.

 

No pets are permitted on the hike. You are allowed to carry water, but no other food or flavored drinks are permitted on the trail. Cell phones do NOT work here.

This is an approximately one-mile loop trail that climbs 180 feet above the canyon floor. During your hike you will encounter ponderosa pine, Gambel’s oak, Douglas fir, New Mexico juniper, pinon pine, and alligator juniper. You will also cross a couple wooden bridges.

 

About 1/4 mile into the hike you will come to the cliff dwellings. There is a bit of a climb to get to the dwellings. It’s nothing too strenuous though and there are plenty of spots to sit your bum on a rock if you need a rest.

Once you reach the dwellings you are free to explore the multiple rooms. Some rooms are off limits though and are signed accordingly. Please obey all the signs you see and respect these historical ruins.

Multiple informational plaques can be found as you walk around giving history on the ruins. You will learn about the area and people who lived here as well as the purpose of multiple rooms.

I do want to note there are a couple of ladders you must climb up while exploring the cliff dwellings. They aren’t very long though and are pretty simple to navigate. Also be careful where you step. You will be traversing over loose stones and rocky terrain during your exploration.

 

Once you have finished looking around you will exit the ruins and continue on the trail back to where you started. The hike to and from the ruins is quite enjoyable as well with some great views.

This was the first time I had ever visited cliff dwellings before.

I had seen some old kivas, granaries, or one room dwellings in the side of rocks before, but nothing to this extent. It was fascinating walking through these various rooms and wondering about the daily activities of the people who once lived here.

It got me totally excited to visit Mesa Verde National Park later this year.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is definitely a destination spot.

It’s about an hour from the nearest town so you intentionally have to go out of your way to visit. It’s not a place where you can just pull off the interstate and check out while on your way to another destination.

That being said, if you have the time I would make the stop.

There aren’t many ancient cliff dwellings in national monuments or parks you can actually walk through, so this is a unique experience. The area has campgrounds where you can dry camp for free in, as well as some paid ones with limited hook-ups.

There are also a ton of hikes in the area including some that lead to free hot springs!