We were so excited to see the lower cliff dwelling at Tonto National Monument that we checked out of our hotel early and hit the road for the 30-minute drive to the park. While we had high expectations of the park, we didn’t know how scenic the drive would be. As we drove through mountains and saguaro forests, a lake came into view. What a surprise! Tonto National Monument overlooks the stunningly beautiful Roosevelt Lake. We got a double dose of spectacular scenery when we least expected it!
Farther down the road a left turn took us to Tonto National Monument, and due to our excitement, we arrived before the visitor center opened. However, that wasn’t a problem because we had lots of fresh air and plenty of breathtaking scenery to enjoy from the parking lot while we waited.
Where is Tonto National Monument?
Tonto National Monument is located in the Tonto Basin area of the Tonto National Forest in the far northeast corner of the Sonoran Desert. The physical address is 26260 N. Arizona Highway 188, Roosevelt, Arizona.
The park features include:
- Visitor Center and bookstore
- Museum
- Park film
- Self-guided tour of the lower dwelling
- Guided tours are required for the upper dwelling – check with the park for information.
- Entry fee
Click here to access the park’s website.
Why is Tonto National Monument significant?
Tonto National Monument protects the ruins of two ancient cliff dwellings that were built around 1300 CE. The cliff dwellers who occupied these sites are referred to informally as Salado people, a name which was given by archaeologists simply because they built their homes overlooking the Salt River, now Roosevelt Lake. Salado people were hunters, gatherers, and farmers, so the valley along the Salt River provided an excellent area in which to grow crops.
Archaeologists have found remains of macaws from Mexico or Central America, which indicates that the Salado were traders. Their woven cotton items and beautiful pottery would have made excellent products for trade. The cliff dwellers abandoned the site between 1400 and 1450 CE, but no one knows why they left or where they went.
Interestingly, nobody knows where the name Tonto came from, though popular belief is that it came from the Tonto Apache who lived in the area, but nobody knows why they were called Tonto. President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation to create Tonto National Monument in 1907, five years before Arizona became a state. Then in 1966, the site was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Lower Cliff Dwelling
The walls of the cliff dwellings were built of stone and mud, unlike the structures at nearby Casa Grande Ruins which were made of clay-like caliche. Archaeologists theorize that several families may have occupied the 20 rooms of the lower dwelling. Each of the rooms has a fire pit or hearth which backs up the theory. Smoke residue on the cave’s ceiling can still be seen today.
Many of the walls and even a couple of ceilings remain intact. Below are some additional shots of from inside the dwelling.
Originally, the dwelling’s roof beams were covered with saguaro spines then topped with mud, and the cave’s floors were leveled with dirt then covered over and smoothed with clay.
The caves at Tonto National Monument lie in a geologic layer called Dripping Springs Quartzite. While the caves made ideal places to build their dwellings, the rock, primarily quartz and feldspar, was utilized by the Salado to make implements and weapons.
The Museum
Tonto National Monument’s Museum should be a priority for anyone visiting the park. We learned a lot while browsing the exhibits, however, it was the pottery we were most interested in. It’s incredible that these delicate ollas, pots, and bowls survived unprotected for hundreds of years! 
With such brilliant colors occurring in their natural surroundings, it’s no wonder that the Salado and other Ancient Sonoran Desert People used them in their pottery. For an interesting article about the region’s pottery, click here.
Visiting Tonto National Monument
We recommend starting out with the museum and park film for an overview of what lies high up in the caves and the people who lived in them. Ideally, the second order of business would be to hike to the lower dwelling. The paved trail is .7 miles out and back and has a 362-foot elevation gain. Hiking websites claim it is a moderately challenging trail, however, we did it with just a couple of stops and some heavy breathing. That said, if we can do it, most everyone else can do it. There are even some benches along the way for those who want to sit and catch their breath. By the time we cooled down while browsing the museum, our visit to the park had lasted about three hours.
Upper Cliff Dwelling
Those who want to visit the upper dwelling can do so on a reserved guided tour. Therefore, we recommend calling the park or visiting the website for reservation information before planning a trip to Tonto National Monument. Reservations usually open on October 1 and fill up quickly. Considered moderately challenging, the unpaved trail to the upper dwelling is 2.4 miles out and back with a 646-foot elevation gain. Allow three to four hours for this hike.
Our closing photo is another view of scenic Roosevelt Lake. 
Thank you for letting us share Tonto National Monument with you! We are truly honored to have you join us on our road trips. If you’re looking for more road trip inspiration, check these out:
- Things to do in San Antonio: River Walk
- Penobscott Narrows Bridge and Fort Knox, Maine
- Rocky Mountain National Park
Happy, safe travels, y’all!
Mike and Kellye
As always, we strive to be as accurate with our information as possible. If we made a mistake, it was unintentional. (Hey, we’re only human!) Our opinions are our own.
©2023
Enjoyed seeing the photos and reading about this National Treasure!
Thank you. We agree that it’s a treasure.
These photos are so amazing. Anita
Thank you, Anita. It was a gorgeous day and and interesting national park.
Just as spectacular as your last leg.
Thanks so much, Ray!
These are some thirst-inducing photos!
Aw, thank you so much! It is a beautiful place.
This looks like an amazing site! Ancient civilization and great views too!!
Thank you. It was a fascinating place to visit.
Wonderful National mountain. Great photos! 👌
Thank you, Priti!
☺️🙏
Beautiful scenery and a lovely sounding area. Of course, when I saw the headline I thought we were heading towards a Lone Ranger theme park – what I actually read was a lot better than that!
Laughing out loud! Thank you for checking out the post. You probably won’t ever find Mike and I vacationing at a theme park.
I find places like this so fascinating. We loved our visit to the Gila Cliffs (NM) some years ago and I’m sure we’d enjoy this too. And not only do the dwelling look really interesting to visit, the views in your photos are wonderful!
Thank you, Sarah. We were supposed to go to Gila Cliff Dwellings after this stop, but the snow was too deep on the roads. It’s now one of the two national park sites that we have left to visit in New Mexico.
The cliff dwellings look fascinating! And I love it that y’all got to the visitor center before it opened!
Thanks, Neal! The early birds catch the worms – or in this case the spectacular views.
Ha. True.
The cliff dwellings are so fascinating, what a place to have lived. The views sure are gorgeous!
Thanks for reading the post, Lyssy! It is super interesting imagine how hard it must’ve been to build those dwellings. They had to have carried materials for miles.
Thank you for this fascinating post! Tonto National Monument is now on my bucket list. I have visited the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings (twice) and just find them captivating. It is amazing that the pottery survived so many years. And such beautiful work! The scenery is beautiful, and I hope someday to see it for myself and to tour both the upper and lower dwellings.
Thank you, Betty. You guys would love it, and there are campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake.
I just checked, and they have full hook ups, too! I know I would love it!
Huh. I thought it was called TONTO National Monument because it is where he went to get away from The Lone Rangers demanding attitude.
Haha! It would’ve been a great place to get away for sure. Thanks for checking out the post.
Spectacular scenery and real history Kellye. So glad you shared this trip. It is ruggedly beautiful, indeed. Happy Thursday. Allan
Thanks so much, Allan. Happy Thursday to you too.
Stunning scenery Kellye, and a wonderful history.
Incredible overview! I haven’t been to the Tonto cliff dwelling since I was a young child, but vividly remember descending the rung ladder into the dwelling and feeling like I’d entered a new world. I’ll need to schedule a time to go back. Thanks for the reminder of the gems in my backyard. 😊
Thanks, Erica! You have an amazing state, and we will be back for more.
What stunning views from the clifftop. Definitely worth huffing and puffing uphill for.
Thank you, Marion. Yes, very worth all the huffs and puffs!
I’d love to check out these dwellings one day: of the times I’ve visited the US Southwest, I never had the chance to head over to one of them…they look fascinating and paired with the jaw-dropping backdrop of the beautiful blue sky and saguaros, I’m itching to go!
Thanks for checking out the post, Rebecca. I hope you get to see some of them one day. They are fascinating.
Thanks for sharing your breathtaking photos. What an amazing trip! The upper and lower dwellings are remarkable, and I am glad you included the depictions to give us a glimpse into the past. Great post! Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Great captures, Kellye! The views are stunting, I just loved the pic you took from the visitor center:)
Thank you, Jyothi. The views were worth the trek.
It is just incredible to think of people carving homes out of the rock like that. But my goodness those views are stunning! I love the mix of cacti, lake, and snowy mountains in the distance 🙂
Thank you, Meg. It was amazing from the historical and scenery viewpoints.
Love your photos of the dwellings, and reading the history. It’s amazing how the gorgeous pottery managed to survive unprotected!
Thank you so much, Rose!
After reading about the history of Tonto National Monument and seeing your pictures I totally understand your reaction to get there early. It’s interesting to imagine what it would have been like to live there. Those views are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing. Linda
Thank you, Linda! It was a really cool place to visit.
Wow what an incredible place! Imagining people living in those cliffs thousands of years ago is really humbling, and the landscape is just wow. That view to Roosevelt Lake, and then the views in the park from the top – incredible. What a wonderful day out!
Thanks, Hannah! It was a wonderful outing. We would love to go back and camp at Roosevelt Lake.
Fascinating history. A beautiful landscape.
Fascinating write up and photos. It looks like an amazing visit. I do have one question – you said they have a book store … is it just a book store or is it really a gift shop?
Wow well worth the 30 minute drive!!!!
Thank you, Diane!
one of my favorite day trips. Again you have done a nice job at highlighting it. Lots of history out there. The lake is much fully with the rains, but I love the photo with the snow-covered mountains. Prove to others that we get 4 seasons here. Sometimes we just need to drive to it.
Thank you. We thought the entire area was breathtaking.