General information about the National Monument
The National Monument protects several cliff dwellings that were inhabited by members of the Salado culture in the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries.
Number of visitors
Best time to visit: Spring and autumn. In summer it can get very hot here.
Our visits:
So far 1 visit: September 2011
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 10$/person valid for 7 days
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open year round from 8am-4pm. During the summer months, the trail to Lover Cliff Dwelling is only open from 8am-12pm.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
For the GPS: 26260 AZ-188, Roosevelt, AZ 85545
Tonto NM
Description: The Lower Cliff Dwelling can be explored on your own. Those wishing to go to the Upper Cliff Dwellings must join a guided ranger tour, which must be booked in advance. We were at the Lower Cliff Dwelling when we visited in October 2011. The trail is easy to walk except for the incline. It is a little strenuous because it is steep uphill. But the trail is not too long.
Trail length: 1mi roundtrip (Lower Cliff Dwelling, 3mi roundtrip (Upper Cliff Dwelling)
Altitude difference: 295ft
Time needed: 1 hour (Lower Cliff Dwelling, 3-4 hours Upper Cliff Dwelling)
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: The National Monument is not big and you don't need too much time to explore it. If you hike to the Cliff Dwellings you also have great views of the surrounding area and Roosevelt Lake. We liked it here very much.
