Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

National Monument · NM

For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter. In the late 1200s, people of the agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) culture made it a home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for one or two generations. By approximately 1300, the Mogollon had moved on, leaving the walls behind.

What you’ll hear

10 places to explore in this park.

  • At The Stairs: Foundations for a New Life
  • Cave 1: A Good Place for the Family Home
  • Cave 2: Architecture Tells a Story
  • Cave 3: How Old are the Dwellings?
  • Cave 4-5: Discover the Details
  • Crossing the Bridges: Water is Life
  • Exploring a Piece of Mogollon Cultural History
  • Hidden and Defensible
  • In The Canyon: Nature's Market
  • Your National Heritage and History

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