Tonto National Monument, located in central Arizona’s Salt River Canyon, preserves cliff dwellings built by the prehistoric cultural group now called the Salado people between about 1250 and 1450 CE. These well-preserved structures reflect a culture influenced by Hohokam, Mogollon, and Ancestral Pueblo traditions, highlighting trade, migration, and cultural blending among Native peoples of the Southwest. The Salado used the canyon’s resources for farming, hunting, and daily life before the site was later abandoned, likely due to environmental stress and social change.

The monument protects a biologically rich landscape shaped by its position between the Sonoran Desert lowlands and higher-elevation woodlands of central Arizona. This transition zone supports a wide variety of plant and animal life that was essential to Native peoples who lived in the area.  Seasonal water sources and varied terrain made the canyon an important place for long-term human settlement.

Lower elevations of the monument are dominated by classic Sonoran Desert vegetation, including saguaro, cholla, prickly pear, ocotillo, brittlebush, and creosote bush. Along washes and canyon bottoms, mesquite, palo verde, and catclaw acacia provide shade and food for wildlife. Higher slopes support juniper, oak, and desert grasses, creating diverse vegetation communities within a relatively small area. 

To learn more, visit the monument's website.