National Monument

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Southwest

About Gila Cliff Dwellings

For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter. In the late 1200s, people of the agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) culture made it a home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for one or two generations. By approximately 1300, the Mogollon had moved on, leaving the walls behind.

From the National Park Service.

Region: Southwest
State: New Mexico
Designation: National Monument
Entrance fee: None listed

Trail data for this park is still being added.
Places for this park are still being added.

Know before you go

Fees, hours, weather and getting to Gila Cliff Dwellings.

Entrance fees

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for this park.

Hours

Mon: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Tue: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Wed: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Thu: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Fri: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Sat: 9:00AM - 4:00PM
Sun: 9:00AM - 4:00PM

The National Monument and Visitor Center are open all year and are closed only for Thanksgiving Day (the 4th Thursday of November), Christmas Day (December 25) and New Year's Day (January 1).

Weather and when to go

Weather is extremely variable. Summers are usually around 90° F. but approach 100° F. Winters have occasional snow or temperatures near 0° F. Thunderstorms are common in the summer and early fall, usually in the afternoon. https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=33.2296&lon=-108.2639#.YUX0_SuSmUk

Getting there

Passenger vehicles can drive north of Silver City, New Mexico to the monument on NM Hwy 15. The 46 mile trip can take up to two hours due to the narrow and mountainous curving nature of the road. RVs and vehicles pulling trailers should NOT use NM Hwy 15. From Silver City, take US Highway 180 to Santa Clara. Turn left onto NM Hwy 152 and drive to San Lorenzo. At San Lorenzo, turn left onto NM Hwy 35 and follow it to its termination at NM Hwy 15. Turn right on NM Hwy 15 and follow signs to the park.

Directions from the National Park Service

Contact the park

Address: 26 Jim Bradford Trail, Mimbres, NM 88049
Phone: (575) 323-2904
Email: gicl_information@nps.gov
Official site: nps.gov/gicl

From the National Park Service, checked weekly. Fees, hours and road conditions change: confirm with the park before you go.

Trip planner

A day-by-day plan for Gila Cliff Dwellings

Tell us your dates and what you are into. We group the stops by where they are, so each day is one part of the park, not a zigzag.

Plan your park trip Free. No account needed.

Campgrounds in Gila Cliff Dwellings

Run by the park service. Reservable sites book on Recreation.gov; first-come sites do not.

Upper Scorpion Campground

10 first-come sites

Upper Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than o…
Lower Scorpion Campground

7 first-come sites

Lower Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than o…