{"id":"nps-tont","slug":"tonto-national-monument","name":"Tonto National Monument","designation":"National Monument","category":"national-monument","categoryLabel":"National Monument","agency":{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov"},"managedBy":[{"code":"NPS","name":"National Park Service","department":"U.S. Department of the Interior","url":"https://www.nps.gov","unitCode":"TONT","designation":"National Monument","sourceId":"nps-tont"}],"states":["AZ"],"stateNames":["Arizona"],"location":{"lat":33.64842945,"lon":-111.1135627},"bbox":[-111.1266,33.6375,-111.1006,33.6594],"acres":{"value":1127,"kind":"gis-estimate","source":"Computed from the simplified boundary","note":"Approximate. The managing agency publishes official acreage."},"firstProtected":null,"established":null,"administrations":[],"designationHistory":[],"summary":"Located within the northern range of the Sonoran Desert lie two cliff dwellings that were occupied from 1300-1450 CE (common era). They represent a vibrant culture consisting of local and immigrant groups that lived in the Tonto Basin. Together they formed a new ideology, which archeologists refer to as Salado. Today, descendants of the cliff dwellers continue to call Arizona home.","summarySource":"National Park Service","guide":{},"trConnection":null,"trConnections":[{"id":"ppl-m-tonto","type":"protected","label":"Protected by T.R.","date":"1907-12-19","then":"Tonto National Monument","thenKind":"national monument","text":"As President, Theodore Roosevelt set aside it (1907-12-19).","note":"Salado cliff dwellings that today look out over Theodore Roosevelt Lake, the reservoir behind Roosevelt Dam.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-787-establishment-the-tonto-national-monument-arizona","name":"presidency.ucsb.edu"},{"url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20200214180323/https://www.nps.gov/archeology/sites/antiquities/monumentslist.htm","name":"web.archive.org"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/tont/index.htm","name":"nps.gov"},{"name":"Roosevelt’s Public Lands","url":"https://publiclands.labs.trlibrary.com/#place=m-tonto"}],"dataset":"publiclands","reviewed":true},{"id":"ea-proc-787","type":"executive-action","label":"Traces to a T.R. proclamation or order","date":"1907-12-19","document":"Proclamation 787","title":"Establishment of the Tonto National Monument, Arizona","relation":"began with this document","text":"Proclamation 787 (1907-12-19): “Establishment of the Tonto National Monument, Arizona.” Today’s site began with this document.","note":"Now 1,120 acres: the original 640 plus 480 added in 1937.","sources":[{"name":"Proclamation 787 in Theodore Roosevelt’s Executive Orders and Proclamations","url":"https://executiveactions.labs.trlibrary.com/document.html?id=proc-787"},{"name":"Proc. 2230, 50 Stat. 1825"}],"dataset":"executiveactions","reviewed":true}],"trTypes":["protected","executive-action"],"links":{"official":"https://www.nps.gov/tont/index.htm","social":{},"recreationGov":null,"alltrails":null,"alltrailsExplore":"https://www.alltrails.com/explore?b_tl_lat=33.6594&b_tl_lng=-111.1266&b_br_lat=33.6375&b_br_lng=-111.1006","recreationGovSearch":"https://www.recreation.gov/search?q=Tonto%20National%20Monument","directions":"http://www.nps.gov/tont/planyourvisit/directions.htm"},"images":[{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C81D952-1DD8-B71B-0B67D23426B08661.jpg","title":"Lower Cliff Dwelling","alt":"cliff dwelling in the spring with desert plants and wildflowers.","caption":"The Lower Cliff Dwelling in Spring","credit":"NPS Photo","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C81DAE2-1DD8-B71B-0B8A6673B9671D27.jpg","title":"Saguaro Cactus","alt":"Hillside with Saguaro Cactus","caption":"Hillside with Saguaro Cactus near the Lower Cliff Dwelling","credit":"NPS Photo/ Christa Sadler","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C81DC67-1DD8-B71B-0B1831AF7771CD9D.jpg","title":"Visitor Center Dwelling","alt":"Visitor Center with cliff dwelling and a rainbow in the background.","caption":"The Visitor Center sits below the Lower Cliff Dwelling","credit":"NPS Photo/ Macario Mora","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C81DDC9-1DD8-B71B-0B926E14F8F643B6.jpg","title":"Upper Cliff Dwelling","alt":"Two story rooms of the Upper Cliff Dwelling.","caption":"Front view of the Upper Cliff Dwelling.","credit":"NPS Photo/ Davis Stevenson","source":"NPS"},{"url":"https://www.nps.gov/common/uploads/structured_data/3C81DF24-1DD8-B71B-0B319AD538D98407.jpg","title":"Upper Cliff Dwelling","alt":"The view looking out from the cliff dwelling over Roosevelt Lake.","caption":"The view from the back of the Upper Cliff Dwelling.","credit":"NPS Photo/ Davis Stevenson","source":"NPS"}],"activities":["Biking","Road Biking","Food","Picnicking","Guided Tours","Hiking","Front-Country Hiking","Junior Ranger Program","Park Film","Museum Exhibits","Shopping","Bookstore and Park Store"],"topics":["Archeology","Cliff Dwellings","Explorers and Expeditions","Native American Heritage","Animals","Geology"],"fees":[{"title":"Entrance - Per Person","cost":"10.00","description":"Tonto National Monument charges a fee to all visitors hiking to the Lower or Upper Cliff Dwelling. Tour reservations are required to visit the Upper Cliff Dwelling. The Lower Cliff Dwelling is open September through May 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and June through August 8:00 am to noon. Credit and Debit only"},{"title":"Entrance - Education/Academic Groups","cost":"0.00","description":"Education groups may be granted an educational fee waiver. All requests and documentation must be submitted at least 2 weeks in advance of the school's planned visit."}],"passes":[],"hours":[{"name":"Tonto National Monument","description":"Tonto National Monument is open 8:00 am to 4:00 pm all year round. The park is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. The park closes early at 1:45 pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. October 3rd through May 3rd, the Lower Cliff Dwelling trail is open 8 am to 3 pm. May 4th to October 3rd, you must start your hike before 12 pm (noon). The Visitor Center, store and museum are open from 8 am to 4 pm.","standardHours":{"wednesday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","monday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","thursday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","sunday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","tuesday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","friday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","saturday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM"},"exceptions":[{"name":"Closed Thanksgiving Day","start":"2026-11-26","end":"2026-11-26","hours":{"thursday":"Closed"}},{"name":"Closed December 25","start":"2026-12-25","end":"2026-12-25","hours":{}},{"name":"Closed New Year's Day","start":"2027-01-01","end":"2027-01-01","hours":{}},{"name":"Open Juneteenth","start":"2027-06-19","end":"2027-06-19","hours":{"wednesday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","monday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","thursday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","sunday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","tuesday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","friday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","saturday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM"}},{"name":"Open Independence Day","start":"2027-07-04","end":"2027-07-04","hours":{"wednesday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","monday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","thursday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","sunday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","tuesday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","friday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM","saturday":"8:00AM - 4:00PM"}}]}],"directions":"The cliff dwellings at Tonto National Monument are roughly two hours from the Phoenix metro area, located in the Tonto Basin. The Monument is off AZ Highway 188 near Roosevelt Lake. The nearest major towns are Globe (30 miles) and Payson (50 miles). See our Directions page for recommendations on the best way to drive here from the larger metro areas of Arizona.","weatherInfo":"Weather during the summer can be extremely hot. It is typically 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than Phoenix, AZ. Winter weather may create hazardous conditions on the roads to Tonto National Monument. Severe thunderstorms may lead to a closure of the hiking trails.","contacts":{"phone":"9284672241","email":"tont_information@nps.gov"},"visitorCenters":[{"name":"Visitor Center","description":"The Visitor Center offers an introduction on the people who built the dwellings 700 years ago. Artifacts and replicas of pottery and textiles are on display in the museum while the park store, operated by Western National Parks Association, sells educational items. The 20-minute park movie, located on the upstairs viewing platform, shows on demand throughout the day. Ask park staff for accessible movie options.","url":"http://www.nps.gov/tont/planyourvisit/index.htm","lat":33.64496622331095,"lon":-111.11299003038016}],"campgrounds":[],"thingsToDo":[],"nearby":[{"slug":"tonto-national-forest","km":29},{"slug":"casa-grande-ruins-national-monument","km":82},{"slug":"sitgreaves-national-forest","km":100},{"slug":"agua-fria-national-monument","km":109},{"slug":"montezuma-castle-national-monument","km":126},{"slug":"ironwood-forest-national-monument","km":142}],"hasBoundary":true,"boundarySource":{"name":"NPS Land Resources Division","url":"https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2224545"},"sources":[{"name":"NPS Data API","url":"https://developer.nps.gov/api/v1/parks?parkCode=tont"},{"name":"NPS Land Resources Division boundaries","url":"https://services1.arcgis.com/fBc8EJBxQRMcHlei/arcgis/rest/services/NPS_Land_Resources_Division_Boundary_and_Tract_Data_Service/FeatureServer/2"}],"editorialStatus":"draft","synced":"2026-11-09T02:12:45.623Z","alerts":[{"source":"NPS","kind":"Information","title":"Upper Cliff Dwelling Tour Reservations Not Available","text":"We are currently not taking reservations for our Upper Cliff Dwelling tours. The trail has been damaged due to the Monsoon season. For updated information please visit our website or the parks Facebook page.","url":null,"updated":"2026-10-01 00:00:00.0","id":"nps-0F9F5C89-1BD4-4C00-8E7F-768F065686C3"},{"source":"NPS","kind":"Caution","title":"Water is Required","text":"Due to the trail being steep of 12 percent grade, all visitors wishing to hike the Lower Cliff Dwelling Trail must bring a water bottle with them. No Exceptions.","url":null,"updated":"2026-01-03 00:00:00.0","id":"nps-1FD3BC7F-24E4-4C8B-8F6E-4F3D1ECA641A"}],"url":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/sites/tonto-national-monument/","boundaryUrl":"https://directory.labs.trlibrary.com/boundaries/tonto-national-monument.geojson"}