• Visitors hike along the base of the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

    Gila Cliff Dwellings

    National Monument New Mexico

  • Area Forest Fire and Smoke

    Smoke from the Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire will likely be encountered at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Areas of the Gila National Forest have been closed. Call the Gila Visitor Center at 575-536-9461 for more information. More »

Plan A Field Trip

A successful field trip begins with good planning. Everything a group leader needs to know may be found on these pages.

 
Teacher_Map_color - bigger
Click on the image above to download a PDF document of the map.
 

Educator’s Tips
It is a two-mile drive from the Visitor Center to the Contact Station, the trailhead for Cliff Dweller Canyon. Plan on hiking a total of one mile to see the Cliff Dwellings (approx. 1.5 hours).

Please note that there are no trash facilities anywhere in the park. Plan on collecting trash and recyclables during your visit. Properly dispose of these items once back at the school site.

There are no facilities to purchase food or beverages within the park.

Did You Know?

Cliff Dwelling Wood

Most of the wood seen in the Gila Cliff Dwellings today is original!  Thirty-one core samples were taken from the wood.  Dendrochronology (tree ring dating) indicates that the trees for the Cliff Dwellings were cut down from 1276 to 1287.