Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

This was a wonderful place to visit. We stopped at the visitor center first and watched the film about the history of the ruins, and saw the museum of artifacts found in the rooms. We appreciated the ruins so much more from doing that first. When we got to the trailhead and bookstore, there was a ranger waiting to give us an orientation. He also explained the Junior Ranger program to our kids, who were very excited to fill out the booklets they were given. We have visited a lot of parks and have never had the greeting service we experienced here. It was so cool to start the hike with that orientation! We met another ranger and a volunteer along the hike, who stopped to talk with my kids about their experiences doing the work they do, and helped them with their Junior Ranger booklets. This was the shortest time we have spent in a national monument but easily the most impactful we have had yet, because of the rangers, their organization and kindness. The ruins were so cool, and I loved the sign that had the quote "The people here didn't leave. They didn't disappear. We didn't go anywhere, and we are still here." After growing up learning about the ruins and how "the people mysteriously disappeared." I'm so glad we stopped, and it was my daughter's favorite part of our trip.

Beautiful. Slightly challenging trail. No disabled access. Interesting history. Easy parking. Ranger on duty. And a nice vistor gift store.

This is more than a destination, this is an all day adventure! Located approximately 40 miles north of Silver City, New Mexico the Gila Cliff Dwellings is a once in a lifetime experience. To get to this national park, you must drive through the Gila National Forrest and the drive alone is quite an experience.This drive is not recommended for anybody hauling trailers or driving big rig RVs! The reason it takes two hours to go 40 miles is that there are numerous hairpin turns and 1-1/2 lane roads with no guard rails that tower 7,600 feet and it's a bit of a white knuckle drive. I definitely would not recommend it unless you verify that the weather will permit safe passage. There are no gas stations or rest stops with facilities between silver city and the visitor center at Gila Cliff Dwellings so make sure you are prepared (water, sunscreen, snacks, sturdy closed toed sneakers or hiking shoes) and start your day early to avoid driving any of these routes after dusk. All that having been said, the views are absolutely spectacular and there are a number of viewpoints that you can pull off and take a look around which is definitely recommended.There is a significant portion of the drive where there is zero cell phone reception, or Internet accessibility. Do not expect to get any access until you return back to Silver City as there is no reception at all throughout the forest or up at the Clift dwellings. Unplug and enjoy the view.Upon arrival at the Cliff dwellings, stop in and check out the visitor center for information about the area. The drive from the visitor center is about 2 miles up the road and there is another ranger station at the base of the path. The path itself while only 1 mile loop is quite a walk with a number of stairs, and at one point requires that you use a ladder to get down. There are some heights involved, so unless you were in fair shape be governed accordingly. Note that access to the Cliff dwellings is not handicapped accessible and cannot be seen from parking lots below. The walk at a brisk pace and time inside the caves is minimally a one hour visit, but probably will take more time with visit with the Rangers and the visitor center. Keep in mind that after your visit, you still have a 2 hour drive back to Silver City through hairpin turns. So do not start your day too late!The cliff dwellings themselves are a free park entry. The dwellings have existed since approximately 1200 AD and you can access several of the rooms and just are a fantastic peek into the past and wonderful for the amateur archaeologist.The information provided is not meant to scare anybody off, but to ensure that everyone is prepared to take this adventure and enjoy their day to the fullest. If you can manage to get up to this remote location, it's highly recommended as it once in a lifetime opportunity.

The highlight of our New Mexico road trip.Some words of advice:- Begin the drive early coming from T or C and you'll see lots of deer and probably some javelinas. Drive carefully!- Be prepared for nothing but windy roads and no cell reception.- The visitor center has bathrooms and a water refill. You pack out your own trash - even for those that drive here.- The pot holes and road the Silver City route will take your full attention.- From T or C to Gila and then on to Silver City took us 7 hours.Now let's say you make it, here's what you'll look forward to:- Gorgeous mountain views along the way (with snow topped mountains in March)- Wildlife spotting (or some local dogs to say hello)- Fabulous cliff dwellings you can walk through and look into (including corn cobs left from original tribes!). The grandness of how people lived was awe inspiring.- Serenity of being in a quiet and beautiful location

Every since we saw the movie Rat Race and heard about the town of Silver City, we have been curious about what there is to find there. We came in May of last year, and it was a beautiful time to come. We decided to only take the shorter hike instead of the long one, but the smaller hike still was scenic and lovely. The rangers are quite friendly, and they really helped us to determine which trip we could handle. My husband did decide to do the longer trip as well, and he was blown away by the wonderful views. We love history and feeling like we're connected with the past. Enjoyed seeing the cliff dwellings. Make sure you wear sturdy shoes and bring plenty of water and sunscreen.

I am fascinated to learn how difficult cultures lived in times so different from mine.

Building upon the profound experiences of my first visit, I do not doubt that a return trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is desirable and almost a spiritual necessity for me. The hypnotic allure of the ancient dwellings goes beyond a mere tourist attraction; it is a vivid time capsule, a living testament to the richness of Native American culture that fascinates me.The spectacular natural beauty that surrounds the monument also promises more to explore. I recall the verdant expanse of the Gila Forest and the calming melody of the Gila River, adding a deeper layer of tranquillity to the entire experience. The promise of unseen trails and undiscovered vistas beckons me to this serene wilderness.As the owner of Hypnoticgate, I have shared numerous spiritual and mystical insights with a wider audience. Places like the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument provide invaluable context and inspiration to enrich this discourse. They allow us to connect with the spiritual wisdom of the past, grounding us and offering direction as we navigate our spiritual paths.Given the knowledge and understanding I gained from my first visit, there is more wisdom waiting to be unearthed from the ancient stones of the dwellings. The engaging stories narrated by the park rangers have left an indelible impression on me, and I am eager to learn more about the fascinating Mogollon people.All these reasons make the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument a compelling destination for my future travels. And in the spirit of sharing my journey and experiences, I plan to continue documenting and exploring this monument's historical and spiritual significance on Hypnoticgate.com. I hope that this place's magic, preserved and narrated through the digital platform, will inspire others as it has inspired me. Until then, the call of the Gila Cliff Dwellings continues to echo, a sweet promise of adventures to come.

An adventure beyond all adventures. That's the Gila Cliff dwellings. So much could be said. I will start by saying that this is a place where the journey is as great as the destination. It was a long a windy route to get there. In fact to leave I went another way and it was even windier and longer. No cell coverage for about 5 hours. When you go here you are remote. It goes from desert vistas mountain forests. I started seeing some deer as I got higher and higher, ears popping many times. I still had a half hour to go when I stopped again for the view. So many majestic views are on the way to the cliffs. When I arrived they were just opening. Part of my plan as they have limited entry and I didn't want to wait for others to leave to be allowed in. Once on the trail it was a focus to step right. It was easy to medium but still easy to take a wrong step as parts of the path are along a cliff. It was very authentic. Seeing the ruins was really great. With the early morning start I had them to myself. It made it easier to imagine what it was like 800 years ago as people prospered here. It's not often that I consider going back to a national park soon but I will to the Gila cliffs. There are a bunch of other hikes to take here and getting to the trail head will be half the fun.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is about 44 miles away from Silver City which may take you closer to 2 hours to get there. My husband, our little girl dog and I decided to drive out to this national monument on a Wednesday afternoon. We parked in the small lot and walked over to the bridge to talk to the ranger to see what the options were for hiking. Although previous Yelp members had previously mentioned that there was a fee, we were not charged a fee on this visit (not too sure if this is due to the pandemic?).Anyways, one of the rangers we spoke to had informed us that the main hiking path that goes directly up to the cliff dwellings is about a 1.1 mile loop (generally moderate) and can take an hour to an hour and a half but it may be longer depending on how long we decide to spend taking photos. The ranger also informed us that only service dogs are allowed on this trail and said that we were welcomed to use one of the 4 kennels below the bridge (which does have water bowls) if we want. The ranger also told us that there is another trail called the Grudging Grave that is a 2 mile hike that is moderate that is dog friendly.I wasn't too keen on having our little girl locked up in a kennel while we hike and also because there were 2 large dogs in separate kennels barking their heads off for their owners, we decided to take turns hiking the trail. I am one of those people who treat their dogs like their own children and I just don't think she would have liked being stuck under the bridge hearing those other dogs howling and barking the whole time we were gone. So, my husband went first to hike the trail (he is a much faster hiker than me) while I stayed with our little girl and did a little hiking of the other trail on our own. Later on when my husband came back, I went up and hiked by myself. The hike itself isn't too bad but you definitely want to wear good sturdy shoes since you are walking on rocks and hiking uphill. There is a good amount of shade on the trail but you definitely want to wear sunblock and wear a large brim hat to cover your face. And while you are at it, bring plenty of water for your hike.The cliff dwellings (or caves) are really cool to see once you make you way up to it. But you are only able to go to the base of the dwellings but not higher since it is blocked off by a rope and a sign telling hikers not to enter. That is too bad because it looks really interesting and would have liked to see more of the caves up there. It is really impressive to build an undergrown home that helps to provide shelter from the wind, rain and heat. If you are an avid hiker, I think it may be worth a visit to this national monument.Please note that this national monument is open between 9 am to 4 pm with 3:30 pm being the last allowed entry and visitors will have until 5 pm to exit the area before the gates close. There are also porta potties here in case you need to use them. Oh, and if you need to throw away trash, because this site does not have trash service, you will to take any trash you have out with you (which includes dog poop if you dog has to go. Sadly we saw some dog poop on the dog friendly trail that was not picked up and some that were in poop bags but not taken out with those people who visited).

A really cool national park site. Located in a very secluded place, the drive in is remote but very scenic. The hike to the ruins is beautiful and well groomed. The actual ruins are well preserved. Friendly and knowledgeable rangers onsite. Nice junior ranger program. Worth the drive to visit.