Ancient Cliff Dwellings of New Mexico

Imagine stepping out of your living room into a void of several thousand feet. Or having to tote water and supplies to your home several thousand feet up sheer cliffs. That was the scenario for many pre-Pueblo people who lived in New Mexico.

Seeking out a place relatively safe from enemies and wild animals, they somehow clambered up these inhospitable rugged cliffs and carved out homes where they stayed for periods ranging from a few years to several hundred.

By about the 1300s, most of the people living in the cliff dwellings had disappeared, probably to be absorbed into pueblo cultures. Wooden beams and thatched roofs have deteriorated over the centuries, but the foundations and walls of hundreds of these cliff dwellings remain, some still undiscovered in New Mexico’s remote mountains. Many are on private property and inaccessible to visitors, but there are several of these fascinating places available for you to visit.

Following are three that are open to the public.

Gila Cliff Dwellings, about two hours north of Silver City

About 700 years ago the Mogollon (muguhYON) people lived in the cliffs high above the Gila River. They hunted and fished, grew corn, beans, and squash. They used native yucca for food, sandal material, needles and even soap and shampoo.

The dwellings that remain are within the rugged Gila National Wilderness, the first wilderness area established by the US Government. The national park is only 43 miles from Silver City, but takes about two hours to drive because the road winds through spectacular scenery. Before you visit, it is wise to check on the park’s status as it is sometimes closed because roads are washed out. This year in particular, New Mexico received more rain than usual and the road to the park was closed for a few weeks because of flooding.

Once you make the drive to the Cliff Dwellings, you can stop at the Visitors’ Center or proceed to the parking lot at the trailhead. Looking up over your shoulder, you’ll get your first glimpse of the magnificent cliffs with the dwellings sitting there reflecting the sun. A rocky one-mile trail rises about 180 feet amid ponderosa pines, cactus, piñon, junipers and Douglas fir. It crosses a series of footbridges and is reinforced by log steps in some areas. The trail is not wheelchair or stroller-accessible.

Take a walking stick. Especially if you’re not a seasoned hiker, you’ll appreciate it on the steep part of the trail and on the smooth but uneven rocks near the dwellings themselves. The hike is not particularly strenuous and benches are available in case you do tire. Try to arrange your trip to the ruins when guides are available, twice a day. They will greatly enhance your experience with the information they can provide about the dwellings and the people who lived there. A guided-trail booklet is also available.

Now the best part. The dwellings were excavated and stabilized in a series of projects beginning in 1907 and you can actually enter some of the 40 rooms the Mogollon built out of a series of caves. Stroll through the same rooms they used for cooking, sleeping, worshipping and working. Then return to the Visitors’ Center for books and photos to remember this very special place.

The cliff dwellings and trailhead Contact Station are open every day of the year, including all holidays. The Gila Visitor Center is open every day except Christmas and New Year’s days. Actual hours vary depending on the season. Wear sturdy clothing and bring water. There is a nominal entrance fee.

Bandelier National Monument, near Los Alamos and Santa Fe

Bandelier National Monument, named after anthropologist Adolph Bandelier, is just a few minutes from Los Alamos and close to Santa Fe. It is easy to drive to via NM 4, through the Santa Fe National Forest. There is a Visitors’ Center and parking lot as well as camping facilities. Call ahead because they’re often full.

Here, pre-Pueblo people built homes in the steep narrow Frijoles Canyon near the Jemez Mountains that rise to 10,000 feet.

Visitors walk along a self-guided loop trail from where they can view both cave dwellings far up in the steep cliffs as well as external dwellings on the floor of the canyon.

In Frijoles Canyon you will see a number of ancient Pueblo homes and kivas (ceremonial structures). Some rock structures were built on the canyon floor; others were created in voids or caves in the canyon walls. Look closely and you’ll see rock paintings and petroglyphs.

Follow a 1.2-mile (1.6 km), paved trail to view the dwellings. When you reach Alcove House, you may enter it via a ladder.

Backcountry hikers can access additional archaeological sites in trails that range from one-hour excursions to multi-day, overnight trips.

In the upper elevations of the monument, Nordic skiing is possible on a small network of trails reachable from New Mexico Highway 4. However, not every winter produces snowfall sufficient to allow good skiing.

Hikers may encounter deer, squirrels, elk, wild turkeys, ravens, hummingbirds, tarantulas, and horned toads. Be aware there are also rattlesnakes, black bear and mountain lions.

Park and Visitors’ Center are open daily except for December 25 and January 1. Actual hours vary according to the season. Entrance fees vary.

Puye Cliff Dwellings, 10 miles east of Puye

Puye Cliff Dwellings are a privately-owned National Landmark, operated by the Santa Clara Pueblo of Santa Clara. The weathered surface of the cliffs is soft and crumbly, so ancient people were able to dig into the cliffs using stone or wood tools. The rooms themselves had level floors of smoothed adobe clay. The rooms dug into the cliff wall extend for over a mile along the south face of the Puye mesa, sometimes at two separate levels.

Up to 1500 Pueblo Indians lived in this area for about 300 years (A.D. 1250 to 1577). The people are said to be ancestors of the Santa Clara Indians who left when extended droughts forced them out.

Visitors can take two self-guided tours, along the Cliff Trail and/or the Mesa Trail.

The Cliff Trail leads up moderately steep rails and ladders and passes many of the ancient dwellings built along and into the cliff. Prehistoric stairways link the two levels of cliff dwellings to the mesa top and its great “Community House.”

You can drive to a parking lot that leads to the Mesa Top Trail, where the ground is generally level. Here you can visit the 740-room pueblo ruin and its restored kiva. The views of the Rio Grande region are spectacular. Some space is available for picnicking.

The ruins’ elevation is at 6900 feet above sea level and over 7000 feet at the top of the mesa. The trail to the cliff dwellings is steep and the air is thin, so it may require that you rest more frequently if you are not used to this altitude.

Lucky visitors will find petroglyphs carved into the rock by ancient artists.

Check ahead before visiting the Puye Cliff Dwellings. Since it is privately owned by Santa Clara Pueblo, it is often closed to the public.

If you visit any of these ruins, prepare yourself for an almost-spiritual experience as you feel yourself in the actual spaces occupied by these ancient people.