From the town of Silver City, take NM 15 north. The road winds its way for a total of 44 miles, and a sign near the beginning notes that to get to the cliff dwellings may take as much as two hours. It took us about 1.5 hours. The sign also notes that trailers over 20 ft are not recommended. Given the road, we can second this note.

At about 24.9 of the 44 miles, you come to the junction with NM 35. Continue on 15.

At about 41.3 miles, a sign indicates the Cliff Dwellings to the left. After turning left, the road dead ends at the Cliff Dwellings Trail parking lot in about a mile.

If, instead of turning left you had gone straight, after about 0.5 mile, you reach the visitor center, where there are flush toilets and water. They can also make change for the fee for the Cliff Dwellings Trail.

You start across this bridge, which takes you across the west fork of the Gila River. Before you cross the bridge, get one of the trail guides. They are $0.50 if you want to keep it, or they have loaner copies that you can return at the end of your hike.

After you cross the bridge and start up the trail, look to your right at the stream coming down the canyon. When we hiked, the stream completely disappeared into the gravel.

The trail climbs and dips, overall staying near the canyon bottom, and not far from the stream. Think back to the time of the Mogollon people, walking this canyon in the 1280s through the early 1300s.

As you walk, you will begin to get a glimpse of the cliff wall to your right. In this cliff face, you can see a small shelter cave which was never occupied, as well as some interesting rock varnish.

Right before you begin climbing the canyon wall to get to the cliff dwellings, you get a view of where you will be in a few minutes.

When you are most of the way up, this is the view back down the trail. The park service volunteer in this photo was heading off for his lunch break when I took this photo.

At the top of your climb, you head across the bottom of the cliff toward the dwellings.

Parents, please do not let your children throw rocks. Remember, the trail is below.

At the second cave (the one in the picture above), you can enter by going up the stairs.

Inside, you can see the ceiling blackened by residents who used the cave before the Mogollon people arrived.

You also see this workroom.

The cave that you enter is the largest of the caves with dwellings, and the dwelling inside contains several rooms.

This room has corn cobs on the floor. Presumably, it was a storage room? You need to look at the larger image (by clicking on the one to the left) in order to be able to see the corn cobs.

You can return to the trail either via this ladder or via the stairs that you used to enter the cave.

Be sure to notice the view up the canyon.

The trail next goes past this closed cave with a dwelling.

The trail begins to descend. First, you go down these stairs.

The trail winds around the cliff as it descends. Eventually, you end up just above the river, and then back to the bridge to cross it.

Even though you are past the cliff dwellings, keep your eyes open for other, interesting sites. Since we visited in the winter, the ice crystals had made this walnut shell beautiful. The contrast in temperature was amazing---between two of the caves, it was warm enough that a guy was sun bathing with no shirt. Here, ice remains in the shadows into the afternoon.