Visiting the Upper Cliff Dwelling at Tonto National Monument is an exciting attraction that often gets overlooked when travelers are visiting Arizona.
The state is home to a handful of ancient pueblos and cliff dwellings, most notably Montezuma Castle and Wupatki Pueblo. These places have been crucial in our learning of Native American tribes and how they lived and migrated across these lands.
Both these sites are impressive to see and learn about, but I remember thinking when I visited, “I wish I could explore the inside!”
I understand that they don’t allow people to enter these structures anymore to preserve these dwellings for as long as possible. But my curiosity still lingered.
Then, I came upon the Tonto National Monument which is home to the only cliff dwelling in Arizona that can almost be fully accessed by a guided tour.
Surprisingly, this place isn’t very well known. It’s really an amazing opportunity to see these dwellings, but since you can only reach them by a guided hiking tour (that only operates half of the year), it can be a little difficult to visit.
So, I wanted to make this complete guide for you. Giving you everything you need to know about getting a tour and hiking to this special and sacred place.
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Where is Tonto National Monument?
Tonto National Monument is located in central Arizona near the small town of Roosevelt. It’s about 2 hours northeast of Phoenix on the other side of the Superstition Mountains.
Due to the vast mountain range, this National Monument can be a little less accessible for people coming from the Valley, but it’s a convenient stop if you’re traveling from Payson or Globe.
About Tonto National Monument
Tonto National Monument is a protected site managed by the National Park Service, best known for its two remarkably well-preserved cliff dwellings.
These dwellings were built and inhabited by the Salado people between 1300 and 1450 AD.
These structures offer a fascinating look into the lives of this tribe who was known for blending elements of Ancestral Puebloan, Mogollon, and Hohokam traditions.
Over time, the Salado people migrated and these dwellings became home to Yavapai and Tonto Apache groups. Each of whom contributed to the area’s cultural history.
Today, the monument stands as a tribute to the many Native communities who have called this desert landscape home.
Upper vs. Lower Cliff Dwelling
There are two distinct cliff dwellings built into natural cave-like alcoves in the park: the Upper and the Lower Dwelling.
The main difference is that the Upper Cliff Dwelling can only be accessed via guided tour, and the Lower Cliff Dwelling is open to the public year round.
If you aren’t able to get a guided tour to the Upper Cliff Dwelling, you can hike to the Lower Cliff Dwelling. It begins at the Visitor Center and takes you to a smaller and easier to access dwelling. Still cool to see, just not as impressive as the Upper Dwelling.
How to Get a Guided Tour for the Tonto Upper Cliff Dwelling
It’s surprisingly easy to reserve a spot for a tour of the Tonto Upper Cliff Dwelling.
All it takes is a quick phone call to the Visitor Center which you can reach at (928) 467-2241. Their office is open 8AM-4PM Arizona time daily.
So, there is no lottery or permit system to access the Upper Cliff Dwelling. It’s first come first serve. Whoever calls the earliest will get first pick on what dates they want.
You can not do this online, it is only by phone call.
Do note that only 10 people are allowed to hike to the Upper Cliff Dwelling per day. Because of this, you are only allowed to make a reservation with a group of six people or less.
Reserve Your Spot Well in Advance!
I want to stress that the Tonto Upper Cliff Dwelling tours fill up extremely quickly!!
Reservations open on October 1st for the upcoming season. I highly recommend calling as soon as you can the day they open to reserve your spot.
This is what I did for my partner and I, and this seems the way to do it. Because I ended up calling back the first week of November to see if I could change my dates and they were already all booked out for that season.
When Can You Visit Tonto Upper Cliff Dwelling?
Tours for the Upper Cliff Dwelling only run from November-April each year due to Arizona’s dangerous summer heat.
The tours also only run on Saturdays and Sundays as of 2025.
The NPS only does one tour each day, so you might have to work your schedule around this tour.
I hiked to the Upper Cliff Dwelling in late November and we got to see some nice fall colors at the base of the mountain.
It was a little warm because the sun was out and the hike takes place around noon.
We live in Phoenix and are very accustomed to hiking in the desert so going in November when it was still a little warm out didn’t bother us too much. If you aren’t used to the climate here, I would recommend reserving your tour for a cooler month like December-February.
I also think spring (late March and April) would also be a great time because you will get to see beautiful wildflowers blooming around the trail.
Fees for Tonto Upper Cliff Dwelling Tour
It will cost you $10 a person (16 years and older) to hike to the Upper Cliff Dwelling. Which I really don’t think is bad at all, I think this tour is well worth the price.
However, if you or someone in your group has an America the Beautiful Pass /another kind of annual pass offered by the NPS, then you can do this tour for free!
Payment will be due at the Visitor Center the morning of your reservation. You do not have to pay ahead of time.
If you have an annual pass, you will just have to show them your pass with a matching ID upon arrival.
Things to Bring to the Tour
- At least 2L of water per person (I love this hydration pack for my hikes)
- Lunch and/or snacks
- Sturdy hiking shoes
- Hat
- Sunscreen
- America the Beautiful Pass/ other annual interagency pass & matching ID
What to Expect Hiking to the Upper Cliff Dwelling
Hike Stats
| Mileage | Elevation Gain | Duration | Difficulty |
| 3 miles | 600 feet | 3 hours | Moderate |
The hike begins as your tour guide leads you from the parking lot, through the gate, and onto the dirt trail.
It starts of relatively easy. You will slowly and gradually ascend elevation. Expect the trail to become rockier as you hike.
Throughout the hike, your tour guide will stop periodically to give everyone a quick break and share some information on the desert plants around you and stories of the the Salado people.
It was all very informative and if you’re a history buff, you will totally love this tour.
You’ll also get some amazing views of Theodore Roosevelt Lake as you ascend the mountain.
You’ll encounter some pretty steep sections with switchbacks before making the final trek to the cliff dwelling.
Your tour guide will stop everyone shortly before you reach the dwelling in a nice shady spot overlooking the mountains for a break to have lunch or a snack. This is because they do not want people eating in the dwelling.
Exploring the Inside of the Dwelling
Once your guide brings you into the cliff dwelling itself, you will get to explore the back sections in the cave in which it’s built.
You can peer into the all rooms and look through the windows and doorways. You can’t walk into all of the rooms, only some. But you do get a really good view of everything and are able to get a feel for what it would’ve been like to live here.
Inside the dwelling you’ll see small staircases, a well where they stored their water (top left photo), and you can even see handprints in the walls from when they built the structure from mud.
You’ll really get a good look at all the rooms and you’ll learn a lot about how it was all made. A lot of time and energy went into building this structure. It’s amazing that humans were able to make something as complex as this 700 years ago.
Once the tour comes to a close, your guide may let you explore the dwellings on your own briefly one last time to take it all in before you descend.
You are then welcome to hike back down at your own pace. The guide will follow behind the last person in the group to leave so they can lock the gate back up behind your group.
My Final Thoughts
Hiking to the Tonto Upper Cliff Dwelling is such a unique experience that will definitely become the highlight of your trip to Arizona. It’s fascinating to learn about how the Salado people built this structure with only the natural materials that they could find.
I feel grateful that something like this is open to us to visit and explore. We had an amazing tour guide and this was definitely an experience I’ll never forget. It’s relatively inexpensive too which is awesome.
I would recommend this hiking tour to anyone living in or visiting Arizona. The NPS does a great job at preserving these dwellings so hopefully they can be admired for many generations to come.
I hope this post helps you better understand how to visit and what to expect with a trip to the Tonto National Monument. Thank you for reading!
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