Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:3005 East Camino del Bosque
Silver City, New Mexico
Tel:
(505) 536-9461
Take a glimpse into the lives of the people of the Mogollon culture, who lived in the Gila Wilderness from the 1280s through the early 1300s. Tour ancient dwellings, hike through cacti and juniper and see the soaring bald eagle, here at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument!
In addition to guided tours of the Mogollon cliff dwellings, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers unparalleled hiking and horseback riding on 350 miles of rugged mountains, deep canyons, meadows, and semi-desert country. Since elevations range from 4,200 to 10,900 feet and cover four of the six life zones, the flora and fauna here are diverse and include Ocotillo, cactus, juniper, pine, aspen, and spruce-fir forests. Be sure to stay on the lookout for wildlife such as black bears, mountain lions, elk, deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, and wild turkeys, which inhabit the forest along with the bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and the red-tailed hawks soaring above. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument also has a museum and a visitor center and plenty of opportunities for camping and fishing in the wilderness surrounding the monument.
From Silver City, take State Highway 15 North—Gila Cliff is only 44 miles away, but because of windy mountain roads, travel time can take up to two hours. For wider, more level, easier to travel roads, take NM State Highway 35. It's 25 miles longer than State Highway 15, but takes about the same amount of time due to the less rugged terrain. At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, you'll not only see remnants of an ancient culture, but get to enjoy nature at its most beautiful—you're going to have a great time!