Salado cliff dwellings above Roosevelt Lake, at the eastern end of the Apache Trail.
Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
On a saguaro-studded desert hillside overlooking the blue expanse of Theodore Roosevelt Lake, two well-preserved Salado-culture cliff dwellings tuck into natural caves. Tonto National Monument protects these ~1300s villages in the Sonoran Desert east of Phoenix — a place where ancient stone, giant cactus, and a desert lake all share one stunning view.
The Lower Cliff Dwelling (~20 rooms) is reached on your own via a steep but short paved trail, about a mile round trip with sweeping lake views the whole way. The larger, better-preserved Upper Cliff Dwelling — where you can still see roof timbers and ancient fingerprints in the masonry — is seen only on a ranger-guided hike offered Saturdays and Sundays from November through April, three miles round trip with 600 feet of climbing. The visitor center's museum showcases the Salado's distinctive polychrome pottery and woven cotton textiles.
The headline is heat: the trail is bare hillside at about 2,800 feet, where summer highs run past 100°F and can top 110 with no shade at all — genuinely dangerous — so visit October through April, and in summer the Lower trail stops admitting hikers at noon. Getting there is easiest on pavement the whole way through Globe. The scenic Apache Trail (AZ-88) is the other option: its washed-out Fish Creek Hill section reopened in 2024, but it is dirt, signed for four-wheel drive, and still closes after storms. Base at Roosevelt Lake or in Globe.
Tonto's cliff dwellings sit above Roosevelt Lake in central Arizona, and how you get there is the decision. AZ-188 is paved from either end — 25 miles northwest from US-60 at Globe, or 39 miles southeast from AZ-87 below Payson. The Apache Trail from the west is the historic alternative: pavement as far as Tortilla Flat, then better than twenty miles of dirt. Check that it's open before you commit to it.
Two-lane and paved end to end, running along the lake past Theodore Roosevelt Dam and its steel-arch bridge, with the monument signed off it on a short spur. Fine for any car, an RV or a trailer, and the route to use unless you have specifically checked the alternative.
Paved for the first 18 miles out of Apache Junction to Tortilla Flat, then dirt the rest of the way to Roosevelt Dam. The five miles over Fish Creek Hill sat washed out from 2019 until September 2024 and reopened signed as a primitive road — no trailers, four-wheel drive and UTVs only — steep, narrow and cliff-edged. Spectacular, and slow: plan on 15 to 20 mph once the pavement ends.
The Apache Trail is one of the famous drives in Arizona and it does close — monsoon storms shut the stretch between Roosevelt Dam and Fish Creek Hill in July 2026, and crews had it back open in about a week. Check az511.gov the morning you go rather than trusting a map, and keep AZ-188 as the fallback.
TipThe monument sits up a short signed spur off AZ-188, and parking and the trailhead are together at the visitor center — there's no second drive once you're inside.
A ~20-room Salado dwelling in a natural cave, reached on your own by a steep but short paved trail (~1 mile round trip, ~350-foot climb) with sweeping Roosevelt Lake views.
Insider tipPaved but steep and completely unshaded; figure an hour at an easy pace. Leashed pets are welcome on this trail, which matters — leaving one in the car here is illegal.
Plan a trip to this spot →Larger and better-preserved (~40 rooms) — you can still see roof timbers, door lintels, and even ancient fingerprints — seen only on a ranger-guided hike, 3 miles round trip with 600 feet of climbing.
Insider tipSaturdays and Sundays, November through April, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Reservations open October 1 by phone and fill months ahead; six people to a booking, no pets, not recommended for kids under 8, and you carry your own water.
Plan a trip to this spot →Exhibits on the Salado culture and a display of their distinctive polychrome (multicolor) pottery and woven cotton textiles, plus an 18-minute park film and a replica room you can walk into.
Insider tipOpen 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Pay your fee here before hiking; it's the air-conditioned bailout on hot days and the meeting point for Upper tours.
Plan a trip to this spot →The dwellings sit amid giant saguaro, cholla, and ocotillo, looking out over the blue water of Theodore Roosevelt Lake — the contrast of ancient stone, desert, and water is the signature view.
Insider tipCooler-season late-afternoon light on the cliff face and lake is best.
Plan a trip to this spot →After wet winters, March–April brings desert wildflowers and blooming cactus along the trails — poppies, brittlebush, and saguaro blossoms.
Insider tipBloom timing varies with winter rain — call the visitor center at 928-467-2241 for current conditions.
Plan a trip to this spot →The Salado weren't a single tribe but a blended culture of local and immigrant Tonto Basin peoples, known for their pottery and cotton textiles. Building here started around 1300 and the basin was empty by about 1450.
Insider tipRangers on the Upper tour give the richest version of this story; the museum is the self-guided one.
Plan a trip to this spot →Sonoran Desert on a bare hillside — about 2,800 feet at the visitor center and 3,100 at the Lower Dwelling, roughly ten degrees cooler than Phoenix and still brutal in summer: June–September highs around 100–103°F, sometimes over 110, with essentially no shade (June is driest and most dangerous). Best October–April, when highs run from the 60s midwinter to the 80s at either end of the season, with the odd freeze at night. Two wet seasons: gentle winter rains and a July–September monsoon of sudden afternoon storms, which can close the trails outright. Carry water year-round; in summer it's mandatory.
On AZ-188 near Roosevelt — $10/person, trail closes early.
Near Roosevelt, ~2 hr east of Phoenix — easiest on US-60 east to Globe, then AZ-188 northwest 25 miles, paved the whole way. From Payson it's AZ-87 to AZ-188 and 39 miles southeast, also paved. $10/person, cashless. Visitor center 8 a.m.–4 p.m. daily; the Lower Dwelling trail stops admitting new hikers at noon in summer, 3 p.m. the rest of the year. The scenic Apache Trail (AZ-88) is the other way in — dirt over Fish Creek Hill and signed four-wheel-drive-only.
No lodging in the monument — camp at the lake or stay in Globe.
Tonto National Forest campgrounds and a marina a few minutes up AZ-188 — best for campers and boaters. Cholla, the big solar-powered campground, runs $25 a night and closes June 1 to October 1 — check before you count on it in summer.
Booking tipClosest base to the monument. Shoreline and boat-launch parking needs an $8 Tonto Daily Pass, sold at forest offices and valley vendors — your national parks pass only covers the picnic sites.
Globe (~30 min) is a historic mining town with the widest choice of motels and dining; cooler, higher Payson (~1 hr north) is an option in summer.
Booking tipGlobe is the most practical base.
Is there an entrance fee?
Yes — $10 per person, ages 16+ (kids under 16 free); the $80 America the Beautiful pass works, as do the senior, military, access and fourth-grade passes. The park is cashless (credit/debit or phone payment only).
What's the difference between the two dwellings?
The Lower is easy and self-guided — a paved ~1-mile round-trip you do on your own during open hours. The Upper is larger and better-preserved but reachable only on a ranger-guided 3-mile round-trip hike, offered Saturdays and Sundays from November through April. Reservations open October 1 by phone and go fast.
Is the heat really dangerous?
Yes — summer highs run 100–103°F and can pass 110, with no shade anywhere on the trails. Heat illness is a real risk; go October–April, start early, and carry ample water.
When does the trail close each day?
The Lower Dwelling trail stops admitting new hikers at noon in summer (early May–early Oct) and 3 p.m. the rest of the year. Don't show up late afternoon expecting to hike.
Can I drive the Apache Trail to get there?
Yes, in the right vehicle, and only when it's open. AZ-88 is paved as far as Tortilla Flat and dirt from there to Roosevelt Dam, signed four-wheel-drive-only with no trailers over Fish Creek Hill. Storms closed it as recently as July 2026, so check az511.gov the morning you go. In a regular car or an RV, take US-60 through Globe instead — paved the whole way, and about two hours from Phoenix.
When is the best time to visit?
October through April — mild days and March–April wildflowers. Midwinter is coolest and quietest; if you want the Upper Cliff Dwelling, you need a weekend between November and April and a reservation booked months out. Summer is the season to plan around, not through.
Pick your vehicle, line up the stops on the way in and out, and carry the whole route in your pocket.
