Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse of the homes and lives of the people of the Mogollon culture who lived there from around 1280 A. D. through the early 1300′s. The surroundings probably look today very much like they did when the cliff dwellings were inhabited. It is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies at the edge of the Gila Wilderness, the nation’s first designated wilderness area. This designation means that the wilderness character of the area will not be altered by the intrusion of roads or other evidence of human presence.
History & Culture
When Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument was established in 1907 to protect the prehistoric architecture known at the time as the Gila Hot Springs Cliff-Houses, there had been little investigation of the local archeology. Furthermore, the general taxonomies of culture were still inadequate for the distinctiveness of these prehistoric remains to be recognized. Since that time the Mogollon culture has been accepted as a distinct and important prehistoric culture that was endemic to southwestern New Mexico, southeastern Arizona and adjacent areas of northern Mexico and western Texas. Near the center of this culture area lie the headwaters of the Gila River and Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Since 1955, these headwaters have been recognized as an area of special archeological wealth, with more than 103 prehistoric sites identified within several miles of the West Fork-Middle Fork confluence. In 1962, the original 160 acre monument was nearly tripled in size and is now known to incorporate 45 of these sites, including the TJ Ruin, a open pueblo that contains perhaps 200 rooms.
In the system of national parks, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is the only unit that contains Mogollon sites. The known prehistoric sites on the monument range from Archaic rock shelters through Early and Late Pit House and Classic Pueblo periods to an Apache grave – a complete 2,000-year sequence of local cultural development, ranging from semi-permanent habitations to large villages with multiple spheres of influence and then to abandonment and later reoccupation of the area by nomads. The archeological resources of the monument may help scientists to trace and understand regional evolutions in subsistence strategies, settlement patterns, social organization, trade networks and demography.
Although in the center of the Mogollon area, the monument lies on the periphery of the Mimbres branch, a subset of the larger culture that was centered in the Mimbres Valley and that is famous for its painted pottery. At the headwaters of the Gila, Mimbres populations adjoined another more northern branch of the culture. The TJ Ruin, for example, is a Classic Mimbres phase pueblo; the cliff dwellings are Tularosa phase, the product of a prehistoric population that more commonly built near the present town of Reserve. Consequently, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument contains archeological resources that may also help to clarify the relationships between the various cultural branches and to understand the origins and dispersal of cultural innovations.
Finally, with the exception of the cliff dwellings, which had been more or less rifled before the turn of the century, the monument preserves sites that are nearly unique in southwestern New Mexico for their relatively undisturbed nature. An old and increasingly lucrative market in Mimbres pottery has led to the despoliation of 95% of Mimbres sites in the surrounding area. Lamented by professional archeologists since the 1920′s, this vandalism continues today, destroying prehistoric architecture and the important context of associated artifacts. In other words, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument preserves an archeological resource that is vanishing rapidly elsewhere.
Recreation
Hiking in the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas are popular activities in the area. Call ahead for weather conditions and backcountry water availability. There are several popular hot springs in the area. The closest, Lightfeather, is a twenty minute walk from the Visitor Center. The most popular is Jordan, a 6 or 8 mile hike from the Visitor Center, depending upon the trailhead used. Check out our Nature and Science section for more details. Directions to both can be obtained at the Visitor Center.
Getting There
By Plane
Limited commercial air service is available to Silver City. The nearest major airports are in El Paso, Texas and Tucson, Arizona, both of which are about four hours away by automobile.
By Car
Take State Highway 15 north from Silver City. Although the distance from Silver City is only 44 miles, the travel time is approximately two hours due to twisting and winding mountain terrain. An alternative route from Silver City is along NM State Highway 35 and goes through the Mimbres Valley. Even though it is 25 miles longer than Highway 15, it is less winding, wider, more level and easier to travel; therefore it takes about the same amount of time as State Highway 15. If your vehicle, travel trailer, or RV is over 20 feet in length, you should take Highway 35.
The highway approaching the monument is a steep 10-12% grade for several miles. You should plan on using lower gears when driving these steep sections of road.
The highways approaching the National Monument are not plowed at nights and on weekends. after snowstorms, please call the Visitor Center at 505-536-9461 to find out about road conditions.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
HC 68 Box 100
Silver City, NM 88061
Phone: 505-536-9461 (Visitor Information)
Phone: 505-536-2250 (Gila Wilderness Ranger District Headquarters)
Fax: 505-536-9344
Operating Hours & Seasons
From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and the Visitor Center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The rest of the year, the Cliff Dwellings are open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and the Visitor Center is open 8:00a a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The Cliff Dwellings, trailhead Contact Station and Gila Visitor Center are closed on Christmas Day. On New Year’s Day, the Gila Visitor Center is closed, but the Contact Station and the Cliff Dwellings are open with the normally scheduled tours offered.
Guided tours of the Cliff Dwellings are offered daily at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. as part of the entrance fee. Please note that the tours start at the Cliff Dwellings and it takes about a half hour to walk up to them from the trailhead. A self-guided tour is available at all times and an accompanying booklet is available at the Visitor Center and the trailhead Contact Station.
Weather/Climate
Mild climate, with rainy season from July to August. Spring and Fall have moderate days and cool nights. Winter months often have nice afternoons with cold mornings and nights.
Daytime temperatures tend to be relatively mild or warm and nightime temperatures tend to be relatively cool or cold throughout the year. Average temperatures in the higher elevation, particularly the Mogollon Range, can be cooler by 10-20 degrees or more, depending on the season. Summer is the monsoon or rainy season with afternoon thunderstorms, accompanied by dangerous lightning, likely during July and August. If you are hiking and get caught in an area where lightning is striking, stay off ridges and away from open areas. Remove metallic objects from you pack or clothing and stay faway from anything that might serve as a lightning rod. Take shelter under a cluster of smaller trees, not under a large tree. It is not safe to shelter in shallow caves. The caves at the Cliff Dwellings are deep caves and would be safe if you stand well back from the openings. Lightning seeks high points, the tallest object in an open area, the biggest object (such as a large boulder) and ridgelines.
During most winters the lower elevations tend to be free of snow most of the time and when it does snow the melt-off usually occurs within a few days. Normally there is some snow accumulation in the higher elevations and during sever winters, the snow may range up to 10 feet or more in the Mogollon Range. Melt-off usually occurs during late March and April, but snow and ice may hinder travel on upper elevation trails as late as June.
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