Lower Cliff Dwellings at Tonto National Monument, Gila County, Arizona

The focal point of Tonto National Monument, on the slopes of Arizona's Salt River Valley, is a series of well-preserved cliff dwellings which were occupied by the Salado culture between 1150 and 1450 AD. The people farmed in the Salt River Valley and supplemented their diet by hunting and gathering native wildlife and plants. The Salado were fine craftsmen, producing some of the most exquisite polychrome pottery and intricately woven textiles to be found in the Southwest.

Tonto is also a great place to see and study the amazing diverstty of plant life of the Upper Sonoran ecosystem, known primarily for its characteristic Saguaro Cactus. In the General Tips section of this page I will be highlighting many of these very interesting cacti, shrubs and other desert plants. February through March is the best time to view wildflowers, but any time of year is worth a visit. The abundant and diverse animals life at Tonto includes: whitetail and mule deer; mountain lion and bobcat; javelina, porcupine, coyote, and ringtail; jackrabbit and desert cottontail; several squirrel, chipmunk, and bat species; all four species of North American skunk; three rattlesnake species; Arizona coral snake; over a dozen other snake species; Gila monster and over a dozen other lizard species; four toad and frog species; and over 100 bird species.

Tonto National Monument was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, and was one of the first National Monuments to be proclaimed under the new Antiquities Act of 1906. It is well off the beaten path, 30 miles northeast of Globe and 50 miles south of Payson. It is surrounded by the Tonto National Forest, and overlooks Theodore Roosevelt Lake.