Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

We get an early (for us) start and drive a few miles up the road to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Visitor's Center. After getting information from the rangers and wandering around the exhibits, we drive to the trail head for the cliff dwellings.  There another ranger describes the trail and the rules as well as some of the history of the dwellings.

The dwellings were built over 700 years ago in the 13th century by the Mogollon people. At that time the southwest had endured many years of a devastating drought which had brought many cultures to their knees. Many small bands searched the land for enough food and water to survive.  It's estimated that about 40 people were in the group that wandered up this narrow canyon to find refuge in the natural south facing caves. These dwellings are very unusual for the Mogollon culture, as they didn't normally build pueblo style structures.

Sign at trail head

Narrow canyon with small stream

We are lucky to be here on such a lovely day. Temperatures are in the mid 70's - perfect for hiking.

Good sign to keep people on the trail

Our first glimpse of the caves

There are a total of six caves. All except Cave 6 have various kinds of structures in them.  Some caves were for common areas for cooking and enjoying communal living.  Others were for ceremonial or religious purposes. The buildings in these were built with more care than elsewhere.  Also, there are caves with individual rooms for different family groups.
As you look at these photos, you may notice that almost all the caves have black ceilings.  The buildings all stop short of the roof of the caves to allow smoke to escape from cooking and heating fires.

Communal cooking pits designed for round bottomed pots called ollas

Cave ceiling blackened with soot

The next few photos give an idea of how these dwellings were built. We were surprised to learn these dwellings were only occupied for one generation.  No one knows why they left.  Perhaps they had depleted their food sources, or just simply wandered off to join other pueblo tribes. Several of the other pueblo tribes count Mogollon peoples as part of their ancestry.

Hand build stone walls with mortar

Logs for ceiling and floor supports were hauled from the Gila River basin

Detail showing stones and log supports

The natural south facing caves acted as passive solar cooling and warming.  The sun rays were prevented from entering the caves in the hot summer months, but penetrated deep within during the cold winter months.
It's had to image whole families living in one of these rooms, especially in comparison to how we live today.

Room with basket and bowl

Room with fireplace

Room with cooking hearth

Once we have finished viewing all the caves, it's time to exit down a ladder and hike back on the return loop of the trail.

Ugh! Why do all ruins have ladders?

Inaccessible Cave 6

Cliff stained by storm runoff

View of Gila River from return trail

Mexican Wolf in small exhibit by trail head

Our trusty steed awaits us

We saddle up the Navion and drive to the Lower Scorpion Campground (inviting name) to see some pictographs painted in ocher on a cliff face.  No one knows what these pictographs mean.  However, I can't resist the urge to take a stab at reading them:

Come to the party

You'll need to cross two rivers to get there

It's the dwelling by the sharp cliffs

Come and we'll have a great time dancing 'til dawn!

Gila Hot Springs

After a good night's sleep, we head north along Hwy 61 to 35 towards Gila Hot Springs and the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

We surprise a small herd of javelins

Church in pinon pine and juniper country

The countryside turns rocky with larger trees and eventually forests.

Layered cliffs with pine and juniper trees

Rock sentinels with ponderosa pines

After climbing a steep mountain pass, we are treated to a wonderful panorama of the Gila River basin below.

The descent down off the pass is steeper still on a narrow road without guardrails. Peter enjoys the drive, which I consider it to be a white knuckle ride. What? Me afraid of heights?

We cross over the Gila River

View from our campsite

We camp at the Gila Hot Springs Ranch, which is owned and operated by the Campbell family. Doc Campbell and his wife bought the ranch in the 1940's when the road in was nothing but a jeep trail. Ever since that time, it's been a true working ranch including various businesses operated by different family members.

The store has great home made ice cream

Hand built log cabin

Spring is in the air with new lambs and kids frolicking in the fields.

Sheep and lambs in pasture by RVs

Lambs cooling off in the shade

Madonna and kid

After getting settled, we walk across the road to the hot spring on the Gila River. It's "undeveloped" but presents itself as funky and fun.  A day's soak is $4 a person and camping is only $5 which includes access to the hot pools.

Entrance to hot springs

Notice the skull and cross bones for the HOT pool

We find the moderate pool to our liking

The views from our pool are relaxing... 

cliffs across the river

the campground

and prayer flags fluttering in the breeze

As we soak in the surroundings and relax in the pool, we meet Hunter who's traveling around the country. He's a former Merrill Lynch stockbroker who took the money and ran to follow his dream of becoming a writer. He's landed a job writing for a newspaper in Bosman, Montana so he can combine his love of writing about the west along with traveling around it. You got to admire the guy to walk away from a lucrative profession to follow his muse.  Our hats are off to him as we wish him much success in his new profession.

Peter kicking back at the hot springs

Marti relaxing

After a few enjoyable hours just hanging out at the hot spring, we walk back to camp to enjoy a beer under the budding cottonwood trees and watch the sunset.

Cottonwood trees starting to leaf out

Marti with an Irish brew left over from St Paddy's Day

Sunset over Gila cliffs

The last of the sun's rays on the hills across the Gila River