Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Tonto National Monument adventure.
Pack a picnic lunch and tour of some amazing cliff dwellings overlooking Theodore Roosevelt Lake in Arizona. Two cliff dwellings in the middle of the Sonoran Desert offered shelter to families for nearly 200 years. The nearby river provided a water source, a way to grow plants and a place for animals to drink water.
Access the lower cliff dwelling by taking the paved walkway. You can only get to the upper one when you go on a Ranger-led tour. Historians discovered that the Salado people created colorful pottery and woven cloth as part of their vibrant society.
The visitor's center gives you a good idea of what the Salado were like when they inhabited these cliff dwellings from 1250 to 1450. Bring good hiking shoes as the path to the upper cliff dwelling is rocky, on an incline and unpaved. Tall saguaro cacti, growing on the cliff side, serve as silent sentinels watching over the site.
Nearby rustic campsites let you stay near the cliff dwellings and the lake. Theodore Roosevelt Lake and the adjacent Tonto National Forest have great hiking, boating, fishing, and swimming. This National Monument and the public lands nearby are open year-round, although the cooler spring and fall months are ideal times to visit.