Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Things to Do

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What makes the Gila Cliff Dwellings special is not their size (several other places, such as Bandelier or Chaco Canyon have bigger groupings) but the fact that you can explore inside the caves and buildings, and can do so if you want to on your own. This makes it easier, I think, to conjure up images of the people who once lived here and to imagine what their lives must have been like. This was why we deliberately chose to explore on our own, but if you’d like to take a guided tour, these are offered daily at 1.00 p.m. Note though that the tours start at the Cliff Dwellings and you’ll need to allow about 30-40 minutes to walk up from the trailhead.

Whether exploring alone or in a group, there are six caves that you can enter, although as four and five are linked it may not feel like that many. This first one is the smallest and has very little in the way of structures, but moving on to cave two (photo one) you will see some of the original Mogollon constructions. These had already been vandalised when the dwellings were first properly explored by experts, but about 80% of the original structures remained, and the rest have been carefully restored.

There are more structures in cave three, which you need to climb up to. This is where you can really get a sense of the long-ago inhabitants, as you look up at the roof of the cave blackened by soot from their fires, or look out across the valley from its cool interior, as they must have done. Photo two shows the view of its entrance from cave two, and photo three was taken looking out from this cave.

Caves four and five are linked, and I confess that I couldn’t work out exactly where one ended and the next began, even though a helpful ranger whom we met here explained it – the small structure to the right of my photo (photo four), with what appears to be a window, is at the point where cave four becomes cave five. There is apparently a mystery surrounding the purpose of this structure, which is too large to have been a storage area (and in any case has sooty walls) and too small to have been a dwelling.

Without that helpful ranger we would not have known to climb the ladder propped against one wall in cave five and look down and to the right – and we would have missed seeing the pictograph (photo five) painted there by the Mogollon, and the remains of some corn husks on the floor below.

To exit these caves you have to climb down a wooden ladder of about a dozen steps – if you don’t fancy this you can retrace your steps to cave three and descend from there. The trail then passes cave six, which you can’t enter, and then loops round the cliff face before descending steeply to rejoin the outward trail just before the bridge.

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Before driving to the cliff dwellings themselves, do make the short detour to the Visitor Centre. There are interesting displays of Mogollon artefacts from the Gila Cliff Dwellings and surrounding area and an exhibit on the Chiricahua Apache who consider the wilderness to be their homeland. There’s also a video showing what life may have been like for the Mogollon who built and occupied the Cliff Dwellings, but we decided to skip that and head on up to the dwellings themselves. We did stop to buy a few post-cards (there’s also a good range of books and a few other items) and to chat to the helpful rangers who told us a bit more about the path to the dwellings and also about some good places to picnic.

Outside the centre, don’t miss the memorial to Geronimo near the entrance to the parking area (photo three). The Chiricahua Apache chief was born very near here (“By the headwaters of the Gila”, as the monument says). He was one of the fiercest warriors who ever lived, but he didn’t turn to fighting until after the senseless slaughter by Mexican troops of his mother, wife, children, and other tribal women in 1858. During his time as a war chief, Geronimo was notorious for consistently urging raids and war upon first Mexican and later American settlements across Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In 1886 he surrendered to U.S. authorities and the Government moved him and the remaining Chiricahua Apaches out of their homeland. He became a celebrity in later life, but was never granted his wish to return to his homeland.

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The cave dwellings were built by the Mogollon People around 1276. these ruins indicate a lot of contact between the Mogollon and other peoples. Pottery used by the Mimbres People were found near the dwellings as were feathers from birds indigenous to Central America. The Mogollon also used t shaped doors common to other groups.

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The trail leading to the cliff dwellings is a 1 mile loop trail. There is a viewpoint for the dwellings at the 1/4 mile mark that is easy to get to. I saw a lady in a knee brace do it. The trail gets pretty steep and rocky after that point. If you climb up into the dwellings you will ahve to climb down a wooden ladder or backtrack.

Your trip should begin with a stop at the visitors center. Her you can pay your fee of $3 per individual or $10 per family, and collect a map of the park and any other brochures you may need. If you do not need any information about the park, you can also pay the entrance fee at a self-pay station.

Please note that although the park is only 44 miles north of Silver City, driving time can be up to two hours due to the mountainous terrain.

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There is a main parking lot where you will leave your vehicle. The park has placed a small building where there is a display of animals, and plant life with explanations. Be sure and go in here before hiking up to the ruins. There will be volunteers at the beginning of the trail who will explain where you will be going and the difficulty. This hike begins gradually along the base of the cliff, and then it will climb by switchbacks to reach the level of the dwellings. It is an easy hike which takes 15 minutes to reach the monument. It is not wheel chair accesible.
On the steepest part of the climb, there are benches for taking a break and enjoying the fantastic view.
You will descend on a different trail, although there are no rules about reversing your course.

At the ruins there will be a Ranger who can explain the history and he/she will have interesting stories to relate. Be sure and take advantage of any free tours they will offer.
The Ranger Station has some great books, stop and take a look.

The road goes directly to the Ranger Station. When you stop at the Ranger Station/Museum you will see a monument to Geronimo. The museum is free, and there is a great book store there. There are numerous books available for purchase in the museum which will describe the history of this famous Apache Chief.
This land where you will be standing was where he was born, and was his home land.

A pictograph, or pictogram, is a figure which is either painted or drawn while a petroglyph is one which is scratched or carved into the surface of a rock. On the walls of the Gila Cliff Dwellings are a small number of pictographs, ancient symbols which are a forerunner to modern writing. It is not known whether the pictographs found here were intended to convey a message, or were merely ancient grafiti.