Photo: NPS/Janice Wei
For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter.
Weather now59°F Patchy rain nearby
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.
There is NO water at the scorpion campgrounds and the trailhead for the cliff dwellings. Water is available at the Visitor Center, Woody's corral and TJ's corral.
Pets are not allowed onto the Gila Cliff Dwelling Trail. Kennels are available at the Trailhead on a First Come First Serve basis and are available to those that are going on the Cliff Dwelling Trail not the Wilderness trails.
Pack it in, pack it out! There are no trash services in or around the monument. All food & trash must be secured inside a vehicle. Ravens routinely open zipped bags & tear into trash bags left outside or in the bed of a truck.
21 activities. Pick one to find other parks that offer it.
2 campgrounds listed on Recreation.gov. Check availability and current conditions before you go.
Not reservable on Recreation.gov Campground
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 one mile…
Not reservable on Recreation.gov Campground
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 one mile…
Find visitor services available in the park. Check current hours and availability before you go.
Facility
Visitors can get information for visiting the park and watch an orientation film, and tour the museum.
26 Jim Bradford Trail, Mimbres, NM (575) 323-2904 Directions
Facility
At the trailhead to the cliff dwellings, you will find our park store operated by the Western National Parks. Many items related to the park, the Gila Wilderness, and to…
HC 68 Box 100, Silver City, NM (575) 536-9455 Directions
Daily, 9:00AM - 4:00PM · Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument
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).
| Monday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Wednesday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Thursday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Friday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Saturday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
| Sunday | 9:00AM - 4:00PM |
No entrance fees listed.
64° 47°
63° 44°
68° 38°
Updated 1 hr ago
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
Allow at least 30 minutes to hike up to the cliff dwellings. The trail leading to the dwellings is about 1/2 mile over rocky and uneven terrain with 180-foot elevation gain.
Join a ranger on a 45-minute guided walk of the cliff dwellings to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the Gila Forks region. Wear sturdy hiking boots and bring only water.
Meet up at the cliff dwellings.
Grab your binoculars (if you have them) and join us on a walk through the wild Gila on a search for birds, wildlife and flowers. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring water. We will be walking around on trails and sometimes on pavement.
Allow at least 30 minutes to hike up to the cliff dwellings. The trail leading to the dwellings is about 1/2 mile over rocky and uneven terrain with 180-foot elevation gain.
Join a ranger on a 45-minute guided walk of the cliff dwellings to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the Gila Forks region. Wear sturdy hiking boots and bring only water.
Meet up at the cliff dwellings.
Discover how the Mogollon and other Indigenous peoples used rock art to communicate, share ideas, and express culture. Learn the difference between pictographs and petroglyphs, then create your own pictograph inspired by the past.
Join us for a safe and fascinating look at the sun! Stop by the Visitor Center anytime between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM to view the sun through a specially equipped telescope and learn more about our closest star. All ages welcome. No registration required. ☀️
Join us at the Gila Cliff Dwelling's National Monument Visitor Center parking lot to view the stars and other celisteral objects.
Bring a red headlamp.
Allow at least 30 minutes to hike up to the cliff dwellings. The trail leading to the dwellings is about 1/2 mile over rocky and uneven terrain with 180-foot elevation gain.
Join a ranger on a 45-minute guided walk of the cliff dwellings to learn more about the natural and cultural history of the Gila Forks region. Wear sturdy hiking boots and bring only water.
Meet up at the cliff dwellings.
Become a wildlife detective and learn how to read the clues hidden in animal skulls. Discover how eye placement and tooth shape reveal what animals eat, how they survive, and the roles they play in the ecosystem.
Join us for a safe and fascinating look at the sun! Stop by the Visitor Center anytime between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM to view the sun through a specially equipped telescope and learn more about our closest star. All ages welcome. No registration required. ☀️
Join us at the Gila Cliff Dwelling's National Monument Visitor Center parking lot to view the stars and other celisteral objects.
Bring a red headlamp.
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.
Mailing address: 26 Jim Bradford Trail, Mimbres, NM 88049
Ask about trails, fees, weather, events, or planning your visit.
AI answers can be wrong. Check official NPS info before you go.
