Tonto National Monument

we went in the very beginning of the morning, it was calm and quite no one else was around. we had the whole place to ourselves. the ladies in the offoes were very nice and every officer in the park answered every question I had! I wish someone else would make replicas of this place so people can come and have an over night themed stay so people can understand what it was like living like these glorious people. imagine being about to go there dress like them and gather all together like a tribe of people, listening to stories of their people around a fire out under the stars. can someone do that?

Staff is knowledgeable and kind. They were easy to talk to and able to answer questions. Walk is steep - wear good shoes. The view is worth the walk. There’s so much history so come early so you can soak it all in without feeling rushed. Even in the rain it’s gorgeous. Check out year passes to the National Parks. There are a lot of National Parks in Arizona and all are unique and beautiful.

Absolutely incredible! The staff and volunteers are so friendly and informative. The hike up is no joke with 350ft of gain in 1/2 mile. They have placed information at the perfect resting place to catch your breath. Worth the visit. We actually had the place to ourselves for about 30 minutes.

Great place to explore a cliff dwelling and learn about Native Americans living near the Salt River. There are also lots of birds and cactus to see.

A must visit! Absolutely beautiful! Be prepared to hike up the mountain. They have plenty of stops along the way. The view is majestic.

It was a hike up but so beautiful. Looking at the dwellings and hearing the history was awesome.

I did the lower dwelling. Paved, very steep and dog friendly, except the inside the dwelling. Still worth it. Overlooking the Roosevelt lake.

Upper dwelling is guided tour only.

Fee required but accept national Park pass.

The NPS Monument consists of 700 year old cliff dwellings, an upper and a lower. Both require a hike but are well worth it. The history of them, available at the visitor center, includes a museum, gift shop, and movie. The staff of knowledgeable interpreters provides visitors with information on historical facts, regional history, animal habitat, and landscape.
A scenic view is the reward at the top of each dwelling. Tonto National Monument is well worth the visit

Fantastic experience. Did the lower cliff dwelling hike and met Karen B, the volunteer with a lot of knowledge of these dwellings and the surrounding area. Thank you !!!

Fairly small museum, but it has some good artifacts. The trail was closing at noon because of the heat, but you can walk up to the cliff dwellings. It is a steep and unprotected hike, so plan accordingly and definitely bring water. The visitor center does not have any cell service, but they have AC and restrooms.

I had a really great experience exploring the ruins at this hiking spot. You get to go up into the ruins and see them up close, which is an amazing experience. The hike itself is relatively easy - about 0.5 miles each way - but it might be a little difficult if you're out of shape. That being said, the path is paved and makes for an easy hike overall.

One thing that really piqued my interest during the hike was the mystery behind why the Native Americans built their homes so far up and away from the lake. It's fascinating to think about the reasons why they chose that specific location for their homes, and it adds an interesting layer of depth to the experience.

Additionally, I learned that the cavern itself functions as a solar shade, which keeps it cool during the summer and shaded from the sun. Over the winter, the sun hits the buildings, warming the ruins. It's amazing to see how these ancient structures were built to be sustainable and adapt to the changing seasons.

Overall, I highly recommend checking out this hiking spot if you're in the area. It's a great way to spend a few hours exploring some really unique ruins, and the hike itself is a lot of fun. And if you're up for it, be sure to check out the guided tour as well - it's a great way to learn even more about the history and culture of the area.

This is a National Monument, not a National Park, so it is a unique and worthwhile stop for a couple of hours if you are traveling in this area. A small visitor's center leads to a well-maintained path up to a set of ancient cave-dwelling ruins. From here, you can see the valley below and Roosevelt Lake, and imagine this area as it once was - teeming with people and villages with wide-ranging trade and community. There is a daily tour to a second set of ruins that runs once per day and must be reserved far in advance, but this is not necessary to enjoy this historic area.

This was a super educational visit for my granddaughter. She was given a workbook when we arrived to the visitors center and at the end of our visit she was sworn in as a Junior Ranger. The facilities at the visitors center were clean and well organized. The exhibitions were full of information and we both learned a lot. The trail to the ruins is very steep but it is paved and there are benches for resting on the way up, as long as posted information on the plant life which gave me the excuse to stop and catch my breath! The ruins are fascinating and the ranger stationed at the top gave interesting insights and was able to answer our questions about the Native Americans who dwelled here centuries ago. The views of the Tonto Basin and Lake Roosevelt from the top are beautiful. We’ll worth a day trip from the greater-Phoenix area!

Went for a drive on Christmas eve with some friends and ended up here. So glad we made the trip. Very beautiful area with lots of great views of the lake. The cliff dwelling was very cool. The volunteer working was very informative of the area and the dwelling itself. He seemed to really enjoy the work he was doing and took time to ask where everyone was from.

Was a good deal price wise as we had to renew our annual national park pass anyways. Cost is normally $10 per person. There are clean restrooms by the visitors center. There is even a small picnic area just down from the visitor center but on the drive into the park.

Not very busy today but considering what day it was it should be expected. Staff in the visitor center were friendly as well.

Easy to view the dwellings from the parking lot, short informative museum and small shop area.

Great way to spend an hour or two. Got here late at 3:45. It said the lower cliff dwellings closed at 4 so I wasn't sure if we could still go in. Luckily, they just close the entrance at 4. The ranger told us it would take an hour to get to the dwellings. Maybe he meant round trip? Because of that, we hiked up at a pretty good clip with our 9 year old daughter and made it in 12 minutes. Comfortably hiking up and stopping to read all the signs would ideally take 20 minutes. We spent 12 minutes looking around, chatting with the friendly ranger and taking pictures. It was very cool with a great view of the lake. The ranger told us it was half a mile walk up (it was all paved). FYI, the upper cliff dwellings are larger he said, 1.5 mile backroad trail, only available by guided tour. Crazily, it took 13 minutes to walk back down at a nicer, more leisurely pace. We ended up only spending 45 minutes here total but it was the end of the day and we had a 2 hour drive back home so we decided to hit the road. It is definitely worth a visit to see this part of ancient history.

Took our grandsons. They loved it.Half mile winding path way to the top.Steep climb. Need hats and water.Benches along the way .Would not recommend for people with knee or leg issues. Really nice place though.

Half a mile up to the lower cliff dwelling. Not too bad. I took my time taking pictures and before you know it, I reached the top! Beautiful views of Roosevelt Lake from the dwellings. Lots of rich history. Looking forward to going up the upper dwellings soon! Great place to visit for sure!

This is a great little National Monument to visit. Its easy to get to from Phoenix. You can either use the main road 87/188 or if you have a decent SUV, preferably a 4x4, you can use the 88, but this has 30 miles of unpaved road. There are also other things to do in the area, like go down to the lake or do some hiking, you only need a couple of hours at Tonto unless you are doing the upper cliff dwelling too.
Its best to get here when it opens. We went in August and it was quite hot. Even the lower cliff dwelling is an uphill walk. But its well worth doing, not just for the history, but also the views. Its amazing to see how people lived hundreds of years ago, right up to the 1600’s.

The staff and rangers are friendly and knowledgeable. About history, plants the Indians used for both food and medical treatments. The lower cliff dwellings. You can see anytime. The upper cliff dwellings, you need to call ahead for a spot. Worth the wait.