Dear School Group:

We are pleased to welcome you to Tonto National Monument and have a few suggestions to enhance your visit.

If you have a large group, you should divide students into groups of no more than 20-25 each; please have this done ahead of time to avoid confusion after you arrive.

Each group of elementary-level students needs a minimum of one adult supervisor per every six children. For junior high students, this ratio can be reduced to one per every eight students, and, for senior high, one per every 12 students. For example, a group of 50 fourth graders would need a minimum of eight adults; a group of 60 high school juniors would need only five. Each group may visit the dwellings at intervals of about 20-30 minutes. This alleviates impact on the fragile ruins and gives Park Rangers manageable group sizes for the highest quality experience. As long as scheduling permits, we will provide a Ranger to talk with the students in the dwellings. Each talk will last about 20 minutes. If you wish us to focus our talk on a special topic related to Tonto National Monument, please request it in advance, so we can be prepared.

The other groups may wait in the visitor center area until their turn to hike to the ruins. They can look at the museum exhibits, watch an introductory AV program, and browse through the bookshop. Also, the Cactus Patch Trail provides an opportunity to study native cactus species. Teachers/leaders might want to consider developing other activities to occupy and challenge the students who are waiting for their turn to go to the dwellings.

We would appreciate your attention to a set of rules, which have been established to make your visit safer and more enjoyable. Please share #2 through 7 with the students before you arrive:

1. Students must be chaperoned as they walk to the ruins. Each group should have an adult in the lead, one in the rear, and, depending on the age level, one or more mixed in with the group.

2. Students need to talk in normal tones. Yelling and loud noises disturb other park visitors and wildlife.

3. Running on the trail or in the parking lot is not permitted, for obvious safety reasons. Adult supervisors also need to ensure that everyone stays on the trail while hiking. Our #1 injuries are cuts and scrapes from falling on the trail and nasty spines embedded in skin from close encounters with cactus!

4. Please do not take beverages or food into the Visitor Center or on the trail. A picnic area is available if you plan to stay for lunch.

5. The dwellings are over 700 years old and unstable. They need lots of respect--the same you would show when visiting anyone's home. Walking on or pushing against walls is not permitted.

6. Tonto National Monument is protected by law, as are all National Park areas; visitors are not allowed to remove anything. Encourage the students to observe and enjoy, but not collect or destroy!

7. Students should not be allowed to walk on the roadway (for instance, down to the picnic area from the visitor center). Sharp curves inhibit drivers' views and make the road unsafe for foot travel.

The enclosed materials should be useful in preparing for your visit. You may duplicate them as needed. If you have further questions, please contact us at (928) 467-2241.