We started our day before sunrise to reach the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument by the 9AM opening time. The suggested travel time was 90 minutes, and it was more like two hours along NM-15.
Fortunately, we only passed a few cars going the other direction. This road was definitely the Non-RV route, trekking up into the ponderosa pine wilderness.
After many miles of tight, blind curves there were some winding road signs posted. Now you tell us? I guess it was going to get even more wild ahead along with hairpin turns.
The last 20 miles included seven miles up a steep mountain ridge to descend seven down the other side.
After that, it mellows out to a nice valley dotted with Junipers and hot springs, and some campgrounds and roaming horses.
On our way up into the area I noticed all creek beds were completely dry. I guess the early inhabitants may have found the caves after searching for a year-round water source.
The West Fork of the Gila River runs near the caves and was flowing gently in a river plain lush with vegetation.
The path up to the caves is well maintained, and not too difficult unless carrying water from the river or a days worth of foraged food.
Once we arrived at the first cave, it all became so real (from reading the Earths Children series by Jean Auel – The Clan of The Cave Bear.)
It is estimated that between 10 – 15 families made these caves their home and built out 46 different rooms within the five caves.
The ceiling shows evidence of cooking with the blackened surfaces as smoke rose.
Of the several phases of the Mongollon culture over several hundreds of years they went from semi-subterranean earthen dwellings to cliff dwellings.
There was no evidence of attacks wagered at these cliff dwellings, and they would have had a vantage point with visibilty down the canyon.
Our descent down the opposite end of the canyon revealed several types of rock left from the volcanic activity that formed these caves over 28 million years ago.
A Crevice Spiny Lizard poses along the trail.
On our way back to Silver City we took the alternate route for a longer meandering drive through National forest lands past Lake Roberts, a scenic area with multiple campgrounds.
Toucanrv 