Tonto National Monument
National Monument · Roosevelt, Arizona
Two cliff dwellings built by the Salado people in the 1300s in caves above Theodore Roosevelt Lake, in the Tonto Basin east of Phoenix. The Lower Cliff Dwelling is reached on a short, steep paved trail open daily; the larger Upper Cliff Dwelling can only be seen on ranger-guided hikes in the cooler months, booked ahead. The museum displays Salado polychrome pottery and rare woven textiles. It became a national monument in 1907. The Salado built with stone and mud in shallow caves, farmed along the Salt River and made the distinctive red, black and white pottery on display. Roosevelt Lake below formed after the dam was completed in 1911, flooding much of the valley where they farmed.
26260 North Arizona Highway 188, Roosevelt, Arizona, 85545, United States
Open daily with seasonal trail hours; Upper Cliff Dwelling tours roughly November to April by reservation. Closed on some holidays. Check nps.gov/tont.
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