Up to See the Gila Cliff Dwellings

We got up early again today. We knew it would be another full day because we had ambitious plans to see the Gila Cliff Dwellings 90 miles north and on the way back we would stop at the City of Rocks for a little exploring.


I was at the Cliff Dwellings when I stayed in Deming last year. I remember the road from Silver City to the site was a bear to drive. It is a very narrow mountain road that snakes from side to side and changes elevation drastically. It is only a 35 mile drive from Silver City but the time it takes to travel that road is over two hours. We opted to take the longer, but still scenic, route along the Mimbres River.

We rounded a bend on the trail and had our first glimpse of the ruins.

We arrived a little after noon. There was a sign posted that said a tour would begin at 1:00. Good, we will have somebody to tell us what went on here. Dogs aren't allowed at the ruins. This park is dog friendly however, and provides complimentary kennels. That way they don't have to cooped up in the cars while the owners are enjoying the ruins. We parked under the shade of a mountain maple and knew Rose would be more comfortable waiting for us in the truck.


The ruins are situated on a cliff among six natural caves. They were discovered in the 1860's. There was a survey made in 1874 that included measurements and sketches. The ruins, at that time, were as intact as the day the occupants left them. Including pottery, food remains, roofs over the structures, and other artifacts. Over the years campers, artifact hunters, looters and vandals took a toll. Almost no original wood remains. No roofs are left. The artifacts are almost non existent.

The round depressions are support rings for large pots. The square one is a hearth. They almost look like poured concrete.

What is now believed to be the best theory of what this site was used for, is not of a dwelling, but a ceremonial area. From carbon dating of the fires' residue, it is believed the natives used these structures for only a 30 year period before they were abandoned.

The stone house located a half mile from the cliff ruins.

We finished up here and ate our packed lunch before we made the return trip toward home and a stop at The City of Rocks State Park. Our picnic was at a spot the guide recommended to us for a short hike out to a prehistoric stone house and a look at some petrographs.

Rock Art.

There are ruins all over the area here. The brochure states over 45 prehistoric archaeological sites, including pit houses and surface pueblos are within the park's boundaries. There are plans to open them to the public, once scientific studies are completed. I can't wait to see them!

It was late in the day when we made it to the City of the Rocks state park. The sky grew overcast, but it was still warm. We made a point to stop and explore. It was good to get out and stretch our legs once again. Especially in a magical place like this.


It didn't take long before I lost Cathy. I was headed in a direction, with Rose in hand, to find a geocache. She went in another direction to look at prehistoric mortars. We were only a few hundred feet apart. It was the last time we saw each other until we met at the truck, an hour and a half later!


It is a great state park. Well maintained with a visitor's center and an RV park. If your camped out here, you won't have to worry about noise or urban lights. It's far enough out to offer some great night sky watching. There are interpretive billboards describing what to see in the night sky.

Cathy and I finally made it home. We were thinking of hamburgers on the barbie all day. They were great, I must admit. The yawns came and we called it a day. A great day!