Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

Information Upper Cliff Dwelling Tour Reservations Not Available

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.

Caution Water is Required

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.

Overview

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.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

The Roosevelt connection

Protected by T.R.

His proclamations and orders

What to see and do

Activities

  • Biking
  • Road Biking
  • Food
  • Picnicking
  • Guided Tours
  • Hiking
  • Front-Country Hiking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits
  • Shopping
  • Bookstore and Park Store

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Tonto National Monument: 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.

Fees and passes

  • Entrance - Per Person — $10.00
  • Entrance - Education/Academic Groups

The America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at federal recreation lands across all four agencies.

Getting there

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.

Visitor centers

Weather

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.

Phone: 9284672241

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

Hillside with Saguaro Cactus
Saguaro Cactus · NPS Photo/ Christa Sadler
Visitor Center with cliff dwelling and a rainbow in the background.
Visitor Center Dwelling · NPS Photo/ Macario Mora
Two story rooms of the Upper Cliff Dwelling.
Upper Cliff Dwelling · NPS Photo/ Davis Stevenson
The view looking out from the cliff dwelling over Roosevelt Lake.
Upper Cliff Dwelling · NPS Photo/ Davis Stevenson

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