Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter.
Photo: NPS/Janice Wei / NPS
About Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
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.
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Driving times from Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, one way, via road — a realistic day is 8–10 hours behind the wheel.
Hours
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
- Mon
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Tue
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Wed
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Thu
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Fri
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Sat
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Sun
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
WNPA Bookstore
- Mon
- Closed
- Tue
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Wed
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Thu
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Fri
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Sat
- 9:00AM - 4:00PM
- Sun
- Closed
Activities
Getting there
Weather is extremely variable. Summers are usually around 90° F. but approach 100° F. Winters have occasional snow or temperatures near 0° F. Thunderstorms are common in the summer and early fall, usually in the afternoon. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.2296&lon=-108.2639#.YUX0_SuSmUk
Frequently asked questions
- What is there to do at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument?
- Popular activities include Astronomy, Backcountry Hiking, Birdwatching, Bookstore and Park Store, Camping, Car or Front Country Camping.
- Which national parks are within a day's drive of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument?
- Within about a day's drive you can reach Butterfield Overland National Historic Trail (3 h), Fort Bowie National Historic Site (3 h 14 min), Chamizal National Memorial (3 h 41 min), Chiricahua National Monument (3 h 54 min), El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail (3 h 56 min), Saguaro National Park (4 h 21 min).