Exploring a Piece of Mogollon Cultural History

Crossing the bridge to Cliff Dweller Canyon.

NPS/Sean Dupre'

Quick Facts

Location:

Gila Hot Springs, NM

Designation:

National Monument

Amenities

3 listed

Benches/Seating, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Trailhead

You are about to journey into Cliff Dweller Canyon and discover one of the most spectacular archeological sites in this area. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt established the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. It is the only place in the National Park Service that interprets and preserves part of the Mogollon Cultural history. Today, your help is needed to keep this place special for future visitors to enjoy. Always stay on the trail, take only water with you, and remember that everything in the monument is protected and needs to stay in place. Take only photos, leave only footprints.

The trail is unpaved, steep, and uneven in places. You are walking in the footsteps of the Mogollon people who called this place home. Allow yourself to be transported back over 700 years to their world.