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

    Gila Cliff Dwellings

    National Monument New Mexico

Cacti / Desert Succulents

A photo of the ripe bright red fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

Ripe red fruit of the prickly pear cactus.

NPS Photo by Barry Nielsen

Cactus common to the area include: Prickly Pear, Fendler's Hedgehog, Claret Cup Hedgehog, Cane Cholla.

Succulents include: Soaptree Yucca, Banana Yucca, Parry Agave, Desert Spoon.

Did You Know?

Signature of Don Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollón

The ancient Puebloans of the area are often referred to as the "Mogollon people" by archeologists. This name was applied because of the nearby Mogollon Mountains. These mountains, in turn, were named for Don Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollón, the Spanish Governor, from 1712 to 1715, of what is now New Mexico.