Way exceeded my expectations! To be fair, I've never visited any ancient dwellings before, so it being my first experience definitely made it even cooler. But, to my knowledge, this is a pretty unique dwelling area, because of how well preserved its managed to stay. It's a very short and fun hike up to the Dwellings themselves. It's free, which was very surprising to me! The staff at the visitor center and the bookstore are so knowledgeable and eager to tell you all about the history of these dwellings. Furthermore, being situated right in Gila National Forest, there is SO much hiking nearby! If you've got pups, the only place they can't go is on the trail up to the dwellings. Outside of that, they can go on all the trails. During my visit, I hiked the 4.5 miles out on Little Bear Canyon and had lunch at the backpacker's camp where it end. The views throughout this hike were amazing! (Some pictures included from the hike and the lunch spot.) I highly recommend it, but if not this hike, definitely take advantage of some of the many miles of trail out there!

The Gila Cliff Dwellings have been a must see adventure for my wife and me since we met. Celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary exploring the area was nothing short of spectacular! The ancient dwellings carved into the cliffs offer a unique glimpse into the past, leaving visitors in awe of the stories embedded in the rocks. The surrounding area adds to the allure of the experience. The drive to the park is an unexpected adventure, with scenic views and a sense of anticipation building up as you approach. The park not only offers a historical journey but also provides a friendly environment for service dogs, ensuring accessibility for all visitors. Overall, the Gila Cliff Dwellings seems to be a must-visit destination for couples seeking a harmonious blend of history and the wonders of nature.

The area is fascinating. I went and saw the caves first, nothing like it, pictures do not do it justice. Rod was the guide that helped me out in the beginning explaining the trail, very informative and knowledgeable. Rory was another volunteer on site at the caves that shared specific info of the area itself. I then hiked into Little Bear Canyon not a hard trail but some points are more intermediate difficulty.

It's a beautiful place to walk, is wonderful. You do have to be careful. The altitude and the walk can affect people. The biggest issue is getting there, not for the faint of heart, two hours from Silver City. YOU HAVE TO WANT to go, plan on at least 6 hours

Nice trail to get to the dwellings but moderately towards the cliffs. Recommend meeting the Park Ranger for the presentation. Informative and interactive. Bring water when it’s hot. Nice parking area with bathrooms.

This is a great little National Monument to visit, even though it’s in the middle of nowhere. Its quite a drive but easy to get to from Tucson or Albuquerque if you happen to be in the area. Some of the views are fantastic, especially from the dwellings Trail. The scenic drive up here is also really nice Its well worth doing, not just for the history, but to see the ingenuity of the Mogollon from hundreds of years ago. Its impressive to see a village built in to the cliffs like this. I have seen similar things like Tonto, but this one is impressive considering its age. The walk up to the dwellings is pretty easy and you can do the whole thing in a couple of hours. There is also a lovely walk along the river from the visitors center, Middle Fork trail. This is worth doing once you have done the actual cliff dwellings. This National Monument is definitely worth doing. Great place to camp for the weekend or there are some places to stay nearby in Silver City.

Beautiful area! Great trails very easy hike. Highly recommend ! Bathrooms, Rangers on site and store.

Wonderful trail that takes you up into these ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings in the north section of Gila National Forrest. Route 15 takes you on a long scenic drive. Takes about 2 hours to go 43 miles. The trail is about mile, with the portion leading to cliff dwellings easier to navigate than portion coming down.

The drive to get to the dwellings was beautiful. The park ranger(Rory, I believe) was very informative in telling us what to expect during the hike. It was a breathtaking and beautiful area. The parks service does an amazing job at up-keep. Look forward to returning one day.

One of the best preserved of such sites I’ve visited, and it’s set up so you can walk through it and see the rooms up close. There aren’t too many other places in this country where you can experience the distant past in quite the same way. The hike is short but it’s steep, more than 300 roughly hewn stone steps; you don’t have to be an athlete or an expert hiker to do it but take it seriously and bring water. I could see it being a bit of an issue if you’re really scared of heights too, there are some parts that are kind of narrow and at the edge of a cliff. The trail up is good for spotting birds, we saw a few different species. Nice little gift shop, we found a couple things we needed there. Make sure to plan enough time for the drive up — it’s a very winding road and can be slow going — and fill up on gas first. There’s a general store with gas, basic camping supplies and excellent ice cream, Doc Campbell’s, a few miles from the cliff dwelling but I’m pretty sure they’re only open from noon to 4 so you might not be able to count on that depending on when you’re going. It’s a beautiful drive with stunning views of the national forest but it’s a narrow road, take it slow and be careful when there’s another car coming from the opposite direction.

Small visitor's center, no gift shop, nice display of artifacts and a short video. Walk to the Gila Cliff Dwellings is very pleasant, approximately 1 mile loop. I recommend taking the left route rather than right as the left loop is a more gradual climb and the right loop back has a steep decline. Takes a little over an hour or hour and a half to visit unless you're in a hurry.

Beautiful drive there, don't do it if you're in a hurry. The hike is short but a bit steep. It's amazing to be able to step back in time in a way and imagine what life was like back then.

There's nothing I can say, but wow! The guide was very informative and friendly. Heed his warnings, and you'll be ok. Respect the land and the caves, please. What a peaceful beautiful hike to the caves. What a journey through the caves. Walking sticks are there for you for free or add a donation. You'll receive a map guide to provide you with more details on your journey.

One of the most amazing stops on our whirlwind tour of national parks and monuments this summer. The drive through Gila National Forest is its own delight. But the short hike up to these ancient dwellings and the feeling of being inside them was just one of the most unique and sacred experiences of my life. Also: don’t skip the bookstore! Get a copy of The Other Way to Listen.