Categories: Sports & Recreation; Outdoor Adventures; History & Heritage
Overview. In the early 12th century, the Salado people settled in the valley of the Salt River, for which their culture is named. They farmed the land, traded with neighboring cultures, and built an elaborate system of irrigation ditches, obliterated in 1911 by the creation of nearby Roosevelt Lake. They were master craftspeople, noted for the beauty of their colorful pottery. By the 13th century, the Salado had moved into the bluffs overlooking the valley and built cliff dwellings in the shallow caves there. After inhabiting the site for only 150 years, the Salado abandoned it, and their culture disappeared. Today, visitors to the Tonto National Monument can walk through the lower cliff dwellings and marvel at their ancient fingerprints, clearly preserved in the plaster of the walls. What to see and do. The paved Lower Ruin Trail climbs 350 feet to a 19-room cliff dwelling. Along the half-mile, self-guided hike, you'll find informative trail markers about area wildlife, the Salado, and the cliff dwellings. Once there, venture inside the cliff dwellings and imagine what it was like to live in them. You can only visit the Upper Ruin on a ranger-guided hike, from November through April. The trail to the 40-room Upper Ruin includes a 600-foot ascent. The three-mile round-trip, limited to 15 people, takes three to four hours. Reservations are required, often weeks in advance; call park for information. The visitor center houses an excellent display of Salado pottery, tools, and jewelry. An audiovisual introduces you to the cliff dwellings and the history of the Salado. There is a picnic area and a sales outlet for related books. The quarter-mile Cactus Patch Trail begins at the visitor center and acquaints walkers with local cacti and other desert plants. The visitor center also offers a junior ranger program for kids. The monument holds an "Open House" one weekend in March, in conjunction with Arizona Archeology Awareness Month. During this weekend, visitors are free to hike to the Upper Ruin without an accompanying ranger. The visitor center is open from 8 AM to 5 PM daily, with the exception of Christmas Day. The Lower Ruin Trail is closed to uphill travel one hour before the monument closes. Seasonal Alert: Desert temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Take proper precautions, especially on steep trails, and carry plenty of drinking water. Many consider early spring the best time to visit Tonto National Monument. The desert blooms with colorful wildflowers in March and April, and the weather is mild. The Tonto National Monument is located on Highway 88.
|
