Gila Cliff Dwellings

https://www.nps.gov/gicl/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_Cliff_Dwellings_National_Monument Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument protects Mogollon cliff dwellings in the Gila Wilderness on the headwaters of the Gila River in southwest New Mexico. It is located in the extreme southern portion of Catron County. Visitors can access the Monument by traveling northbound from Silver City, New Mexico approximately 37 miles on NM 15. For thousands of years, groups of nomads used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter. In the late 1200s, people of the agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) culture made it a home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for one or two generations. By approximately 1300, the Mogollon had moved on, leaving the walls behind. Passenger vehicles can drive north of Silver City, New Mexico to the monument on NM Hwy 15. The 46 mile trip can take up to two hours due to the narrow and mountainous curving nature of the road. RVs and vehicles pulling trailers should NOT use NM Hwy 15. From Silver City, take US Highway 180 to Santa Clara. Turn left onto NM Hwy 152 and drive to San Lorenzo. At San Lorenzo, turn left onto NM Hwy 35 and follow it to its termination at NM Hwy 15. Turn right on NM Hwy 15 and follow signs to the park. Gila Visitor Center Visitors can get information for visiting the park and watch an orientation film, and tour the museum. Plan extra time to get to the park. Narrow, mountainous, and winding roads require slower speeds and cautious driving. NM Hwy 15 from Silver City is only for passenger vehicles and motorcycles. Typical driving time is 1.5-2 hours. For RVs and trucks with trailers: take NM Hwy 152 from Santa Clara to NM Hwy 35. NM Hwy 35 connects with Hwy 15 to the park. Typical driving time is 2-2.5 hours. WNPA Trailhead Bookstore At the Trailhead Bookstore, you will find our park store operated by the Western National Parks Association. Many items related to the park, the Gila Wilderness, and to the Continental Divide Trail are available, as well as souvenirs and American Indian crafts. Park staff are available to answer questions and help plan visits. Come discover your heritage and your public lands. From the visitor center, drive 2.25 miles along park road to cliff dwellings trail head. Lower Scorpion Campground Lower Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than one mile from the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument just off NM State Highway 15. Drinking water is available, tables and grills are provided at select sites. Vault toilets are available on site. Camping is free of charge and first-come, first-served. Lower Scorpion Campground trees and picnic table Lower Scorpion Campground Upper Scorpion Campground Upper Scorpion Campground is a partially developed campground within walking distance of the West Fork of the Gila River. The campground is located less than one mile from the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument just off of NM State Highway 15. Drinking water is available, tables and grills are provided at select sites. Vault toilets are available on site. Camping is free of charge and first-come, first-served. Campground Fee 0.00 There is no campground fee. There is a 14-day stay limit accumulated per year. Upper Scorpion Campground campground with trees and tent Camping at the Upper Scorpion Upper Scorpion Campground Concert walkway with railing. Accessible campsite at the Upper Scorpion Campground. Winter Solstice Sunrise at Gila Cliff Dwellings Sunrise view of Gila Cliff Dwellings with brilliant sky. Visitors enjoy panoramic views of the canyon and dwellings at Gila Cliff Dwellings. Looking Back in Time View of Mogollon dwelling rooms within a cave. Tularosa Phase Mogollon people made these caves their home in the late 1200's. A Place to Call Home Cliff Dwellings walls and rooms with narrow catwalk Most of the dwellings walls are original. Some even preserve a builder's fingerprints that are over 700 years old. Mogollon Cliff Dwelling with T Door Exterior view of Mogollon Cliff Dwelling The T-shaped door suggests trade between Mogollon and Ancestral Puebloan. View of the Gila River Valley near Gila Cliff Dwellings NM Distant view of Gila river valley and mountains beyond. The Oldest Wilderness Area in the United States Awaits. Gila National Forest Approach to Gila National Monument in Winter Light snowfall on red rock cliffs along river. Winter wonderland along the Gila River Eroded Cliffs Along the Gila River Eroded cliffs reflecting off a river As the first designated Wilderness Area, the Gila offers endless opportunites peaceful reflection. It’s Alive! Biological Soil Crusts of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts It might come as a surprise to learn that in the sublime expanses of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts, some of the most interesting life around can be found in the dirt right in front of your feet! Biological soil crusts form a living groundcover that is the foundation of desert plant life. Soil crust at White Sands National Monument NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, New Mexico Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. stone building in alcove Vegetation Mapping at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Vegetation maps tell park managers what’s growing where, and what kinds of habitat occur in a park. At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, the Sonoran Desert Network mapped and classified 16 different vegetation associations from 2012 to 2015. Pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests cover the greatest area in this park, which was strongly impacted by the 2011 Miller Fire. A total of 349 different plant species were recorded during the project. Two burned trees stand on a hillside with shorter green trees and shrubs. Monitoring Upland Vegetation and Soils in the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert Networks Vegetation and soils are two of many natural resources monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) Division of Inventory & Monitoring (I&M). Learning about vegetation dynamics helps us to better understand the integrity of ecological processes, productivity trends, and ecosystem interactions that can otherwise be difficult to monitor. In NPS units of the American Southwest, three I&M networks monitor vegetation and soils using the scientific protocol described here. Quadrat used for biological soil crust sampling Streams Monitoring in the Sonoran Desert and Southern Plains Because of their importance, streams were chosen as a focus for monitoring in the National Park Service (NPS) Sonoran Desert and Southern Plains inventory and monitoring networks. Portions of several major river systems (or their tributaries) are found within many parks of both networks. Monitoring water quality from a boat Wildland Fire in Douglas Fir: Western United States Douglas fir is widely distributed throughout the western United States, as well as southern British Columbia and northern Mexico. Douglas fir is able to survive without fire, its abundantly-produced seeds are lightweight and winged, allowing the wind to carry them to new locations where seedlings can be established. Close-up of Douglas fir bark and needles. Module Conducts Wildland-Urban Interface Projects Throughout the Intermountain Region In 2013, the Saguaro Wildland Fire Module (WFM) managed multiple projects simultaneously in AZ, TX, and NM. WFMs are highly skilled and versatile fire crews that provide expertise in long-term planning, ignitions, holding, prescribed fire preparation and implementation support, hazardous fuels reduction, and fire effects monitoring. With their help, fire fulfills its natural or historic role to meet resource and management objectives and create fire-adapted communities. Wildland Fire in Ponderosa Pine: Western United States This forest community generally exists in areas with annual rainfall of 25 inches or less. Extensive pure stands of this forest type are found in the southwestern U.S., central Washington and Oregon, southern Idaho and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recently burned ponderosa pine forest. Southwest River Environments In the arid Southwest, water means life, and prehistorically, rivers were the lifelines of the people. The Colorado River flowing through a canyon Transition Highlands and the Mogollon Rim The Transition Highlands, or Central Mountains, consist of numerous rugged low mountains marking the boundary between the tablelands of the Colorado Plateau and the southern deserts. Looking out from the Gila Cliff Dwellings Climate Monitoring in the Southern Plains, Sonoran Desert, and Chihuahuan Desert Climate is one of many ecological indicators monitored by the National Park Service (NPS) Division of Inventory & Monitoring (I&M). Climate data help scientists to understand ecosystem processes and help to explain many of the patterns and trends observed in other natural-resource monitoring. In NPS units of the American Southwest, three I&M networks monitor climate using the scientific protocol described here. Kayaking across a fl ooded parking lot, Chickasaw NRA, July 2007. Climate and Water Monitoring at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Water Year 2019 At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, the built environment reflects the historical importance of reliable water sources. The Sonoran Desert Network monitors climate, springs, and streams at this park. Understanding changes in these closely linked factors helps managers make informed decisions affecting both natural and cultural resources. Learn about our recent findings. Two people stand in a stream with transect tape Series: Defining the Southwest The Southwest has a special place in the American imagination – one filled with canyon lands, cacti, roadrunners, perpetual desert heat, a glaring sun, and the unfolding of history in places like Tombstone and Santa Fe. In the American mind, the Southwest is a place without boundaries – a land with its own style and its own pace – a land that ultimately defies a single definition. Maize agriculture is one component of a general cultural definition of the Southwest. Monitoring Climate and Water at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, 2016 At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, the Sonoran Desert Network monitors water quality, flow, and other parameters in the West Fork Gila River. Human impacts are few on this mountain stream in the Gila Wilderness--but drought, fire, and flooding all leave their mark. Learn more about this system and our most recent findings about stream health in the park. People walk through a stream with kicknets. Climate and Water Monitoring at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, Water Year 2018 At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, the built environment reflects the historical importance of reliable water sources. The Sonoran Desert Network monitors climate, springs, and streams at this park. Understanding changes in these closely linked factors helps managers make informed decisions affecting both natural and cultural resources. Learn about our recent findings. Two people stand in and sit near a stream Monitoring Climate and Water at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, 2017 At Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, the Sonoran Desert Network monitors climate and water resources, including streams and springs. Learn about what we found in water year 2017. Stream flows through riparian area below high cliff The Heliograph: 2020 Edition The Heliograph is the newsletter of the Sonoran Desert Network and Desert Research Learning Center. This issue features stories on how we adapted our operations to minimize field work lost to the covid-19 pandemic, vegetation mapping at Saguaro NP, and communication improvements and opportunities for network parks. We also probe the minds of our interns and celebrate a high honor for our program manager. Person wearing hat and face covering sits near a stream with a bucket and net. The Heliograph: Summer 2021 The Heliograph is the newsletter of the Sonoran Desert Network and Desert Research Learning Center. This issue shares predictive tools and planning processes that can help park managers make proactive decisions in the face of climate change. We also explore some explanations for this spring's highly unusual saguaro bloom, celebrate our staff members, and provide updates on our monitoring projects. Saguaro cactus with blooms all over its top Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Older Caldera Complexes The presence of voluminous ash-flow tuffs are one of the main markers for the presence of older caldera complexes. Subsequent erosion and/or volcanic activity can make their caldera walls hard to find. Most of the older caldera complexes in or near national park sites are very large and were of the resurgent type. photo of hillside with layered rock outcrops Calderas Calderas are large collapse features that can be many miles in diameter. They form during especially large eruptions when the magma chamber is partially emptied, and the ground above it collapses into the momentary void. Crater Lake and Aniakchak Crater are calderas. photo of oblique aerial view of a volcanic caldera with snow and ice Series: Volcano Types Volcanoes vary in size from small cinder cones that stand only a few hundred feet tall to the most massive mountains on earth. photo of a volcanic mountain with snow and ice Explosive Calderas Explosive calderas result from violent eruptions of great quantities of silicic magmas. These eruptions produce massive eruption columns that extend into the stratosphere, and voluminous pyroclastic flows. Eruptions that produce explosive calderas generally range from 6 (Colossal) on the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) to 8 super eruptions (Apocalyptic). digital oblique aerial image of a volcanic caldera Pyroclastic Flows and Ignimbrites, and Pyroclastic Surges Pyroclastic flows and surges are among the most awesome and most destructive of all volcanic phenomena. Pyroclastic flow deposits are found in at least 21 units of the National Park System. photo of a cloud of ash and dust moving down a mountain side. eDNA Inventories to Reveal Species Use of Sonoran Desert Network Springs At nine southwestern parks, Sonoran Desert Network staff are performing environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. By analyzing the genomes present in a water sample, eDNA sampling allows us to learn which species use a given area without the use of capture, hair snares, or cameras. The results of this inventory will help NPS staff to prioritize springs for monitoring and conservation. A large tinaja set within bedrock walls The Heliograph: Summer 2022 The Heliograph is the newsletter of the Sonoran Desert Network and Desert Research Learning Center. In this issue, find out how eDNA inventories may change what we thought we knew about SODN springs. Learn about the new technology that will improve our streams monitoring, and the lasting contributions of our IVIPs to projects across multiple networks. Get caught up on our latest reports and the status of ongoing projects, and find out what’s happening at the DRLC. Two men at the edge of a marsh. One crouches. The other holds a long metal rod with a disc on top. Studying the Past and Predicting the Future Using Rat Nests In the western United States, packrat middens are one of the best tools for reconstructing recent environments and climates. These accumulations of plant fragments, small vertebrate remains, rodent droppings, and other fossils can be preserved for more than 50,000 years. Packrat middens have been found in at least 41 National Park Service units. Photo of a wood rat. Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 14, No. 2, Fall 2022 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> Photo of a person sitting while using a laboratory microscope. Making an Impact: Long-Term Monitoring of Natural Resources at Intermountain Region National Parks, 2021 Across the Intermountain Region, Inventory & Monitoring Division ecologists are helping to track the effects of climate change, provide baseline information for resource management, evaluate new technologies, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. This article highlights accomplishments achieved during fiscal year 2021. A man looks through binoculars at sunrise. A Changing Bimodal Climate Zone Means Changing Vegetation in Western National Parks When the climate changes enough, the vegetation communities growing in any given place will also change. Under an expanded bimodal climate zone, some plant communities in western national parks are more likely to change than others. National Park Service ecologists and partners investigated the future conditions that may force some of this change. Having this information can help park managers decide whether to resist, direct, or accept the change. Dark storm clouds and rainbow over mountains and saguaros. Project Page: Bullfrog Control and Native Aquatic Animal Recovery in Southwestern Parks The American bullfrog is a great threat to aquatic ecosystems in the Southwest. They are voracious predators of aquatic animals and carry diseases that kill native species. We will implement three main actions in this project funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, Invasive Species Grant: bullfrog control, native species recovery and reintroduction, and development of early detection/rapid response protocols for bullfrogs. One scientist crouching by water and another holding water sampling equipment on a long pole. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park Service To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Collaboration & Innovation For Ecosystem Restoration in the Southwest The National Park Service is implementing the restoration of native amphibians in over 20 sensitive wetlands across eight southwestern national parks. However, there's a particular threat (that croaks) that requires the NPS and partners to collaborate and innovate to find solutions. A bullfrog poking its head above a shallow pond, surrounded by twigs. Climate and Water Monitoring at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument: Water Year 2022 Sonoran Desert Network scientists monitor key resources and weather at Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument by taking measurements throughout the year to understand changes over time. This report summarizes analyses of weather and springs data from Water Year 2022. The data indicate the park had a noteworthy heavy monsoon season, and the two monitored springs continue to be wet year-round. Air temperatures were similar to previous averages. A lush river scene at twilight with silver clouds in the sky.



United States Department of Agriculture Southwestern Region PRODUCED IN COOPERATION WITH Dale A. Zimmerman, Ph.D. Southwest New Mexico Audubon Society PREPARED BY Forest Service Birds of the Gila National Forest: A Checklist C – Common U – Uncommon Permanent Resident (present year-round) Summer Resident (present from spring until fall migration) or Summer Visitor (not known to breed on the Gila) Winter Resident (typically from October through March) Transient (present as a migrant in spring and/or fall) Visitant (present at various seasons, often irregularly) The remaining columns indicate the usual habitat(s) of each species. On the forest, vegetation types range from spruce/fir forest high in the Mogollon Mountains to the desert scrub and remnant grassland in the lower Burro Mountains. Small expanses of grassland are scattered in the higher ranges. Generally, ponderosa pine is the dominant species at elevations between 6,000 and 7,000 feet. Somewhat higher, and in many canyons, is a mixed conifer forest typically dominated by Douglas fir, often with Gambel’s oak. Woodlands of piñon pine, juniper and oak, in varying combinations, are present on drier sites throughout the forest. Riparian areas support rich deciduous or coniferous woodland and, locally small areas of marsh or other open habitats. This great ecological diversity provides for a remarkably varied bird fauna. This checklist includes 166 species known to breed on the Gila, 114 others that are more or less regular non-breeders, and 57 species considered to be casual (recorded 3-5 times) or accidental (recorded but once or twice. W– T– V– P– S– The second column reflects seasonal status, showing the time of year when the species normally appears in the checklist area: A – Abundant F – Fairly Common R – Rare The first column after the species name is an indication of the bird’s abundance. Bear in mind, however, that many species are locally distributed and do not range throughout the Gila National Forest which embraces a highly diverse range of elevations and habitats (see below). Thus, the expressions of abundance are to be viewed as general indications, and of course only for the habitat(s) favored by the species in question. Abundance also varies seasonally, and often from year-to-year as well. Additionally, actual abundance is often distinct from detectability. Some species may be common but secretive and only rarely seen. Others may be numerically sparse, yet highly vocal or otherwise conspicuous. The following designations relate to abundance, not necessarily to frequency of detection. An asterisk (*) following a species name indicates breeding on the Gila National Forest. Using the Checklist W P C C __Pied-billed Grebe* S T R R F R U R U U C U R F R R F F C R U Herons and Ibises __American Bittern __Least Bittern __Great Blue Heron* __Great Egret __Snowy Egret __Green Heron __Black-crowned Night Heron __White-faced Ibis Vultures __Turkey Vulture Swans, Geese, and Ducks __Snow Goose __Ross’s Goose __Canada Goose __Tundra Swan __Wood Duck __Gadwall __American Wigeon __Mallard* __Blue-winged Teal* P T W W T W T T S T S S T T P T T T R __Neotropic Cormorant T U Cormorants __Double-crested Cormorant T U __Clark’s Grebe T F T C __Western Grebe S F T Grebes Eared Grebe Abundance R Residence Loons Common Loon Desert ■ Oak Woodland ■ Oak-Juniper ■ Pinyon-Juniper ■ Mt. Grassland ■ Marsh/Open ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Decid. Riparian ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Abundance S T U C Green-winged Teal* U C T U __Zone-tailed Hawk* Red-tailed Hawk* S F __Swainson’s Hawk* P P S S R F __Common Black Hawk* P __Northern Goshawk* F __Cooper’s Hawk* W P U U S W R S U T S S T P T T T W T R U R U R F R U F C R T F __Sharp-shinned Hawk* __Northern Harrier __Bald Eagle Hawks, Eagles, and Falcons __Osprey* __Ruddy Duck* __Red-breasted Merganser __Common Merganser* __Hooded Merganser __Common Goldeneye __Bufflehead Lesser Scaup __Greater Scaup S U T U Ring-necked Duck S U __Redhead T U __Canvasback W F Northern Pintail T T S F F F Residence Northern Shoveler Cinnamon Teal* Desert ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Oak Woodland ■ Oak-Juniper ■ Pinyon-Juniper ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Spruce-Fir ■ ■ ■ Mt. Grassland ■ Marsh/Open ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Decid. Riparian ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Conif.Riparian Conif. Riparian Spruce-Fir T W C F U Rails, Coots and Cranes __Virginia Rail* R C U R R F R R U U __Common Moorhen American Coot* __Sandhill Crane Plovers __Black-bellied Plover __Semipalmated Plover __Killdeer* Avocets and Stilts __Black-necked Stilt __American Avocet Snipes and Sandpipers Greater Yellow

FOREST SERVICE U. S. Department of Agriculture GILA NATIONAL FOREST Wilderness Ranger District COMMON PLANTS IN THE VICINITY OF GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS WOODY PLANTS, SHRUBS, AND VINES Common Name Scientific Name Family Apache Plume Beargrass (Sacahuista) Brickellbush Buckbush Buckthorn, Birchleaf Buffalo Gourd Canyon Grape Century Plant (Agave) Cliff Fendlerbush Cliffrose (Buckbrush) Currant, Golden False-Indigo Four-wing Saltbush Groundsel, Threadleaf Groundsel, Ragwort Louisiana Wormwood Mountain Glory Mountain Mahogany New Mexico Locust New Mexican Olive Poison Ivy Rabbitbrush Scarlet Creeper Squawbush Virgin’s Bower Virginia Creeper Wright Silktassel Yucca, Baccata Fallugia paradoxa Nolina microcarpa Brickellia spp. Ceanothus fendleri Rhamnus betulaefolia Cucurbita foetidissima Vitis arizonica Agave parryi Fendlera rupicola Cowania stansburiana Ribes aureum Amorpha fruticosa Atriplex canescens Senecio longilobus Senecio multicapatatus Artemisia ludoviciana Ipomoea coccinea Cercocarpus breviflorus Robinia neomexicana Forestiera neomexicana Rhus radicans Chrysothamnus nauseosus Ipomoea hederifolia Rhus trilobata Clematis ligusticifolia Parthenocissus inserta Garrya wrightii Yucca baccata Rosaceae Liliaceae Compositae Rhamnaceae Rhamnaceae Cucurbitaceae Vitaceae Amaryllidaceae Saxifragaceae Rosaceae Saxifragaceae Leguminosae Chenopodiaceae Compositae Compositae Asteraceae Convolvulaceae Rosaceae Leguminosae Oleaceae Anacardiaceae Compositae Convolvulaceae Anacardiaceae Ranunculaceae Vitaceae Cornaceae Liliaceae 1 CACTUS Cactaceae) Common Name Scientific Name Hen and Chicken Cactus Hedgehog, Claret Cup Hedgehog, Fendler's Prickly Pear, Smooth Mountain Prickly Pear, Pygmy Prickly Pear, Purple Fruited Prickly Pear, Sprawling Prickly Pear, Plains Cholla, Cane Coryphantha vivipara Echinocereus triglochidatus Echinocereus fendleri Opuntia compressa Opuntia fragilis Opuntia phaeacantha discata Opuntia phaeacantha major Opuntia polyacantha Opuntia spinosior TREES Common Name Scientific Name Family Alder, Arizona Ash, Velvet Box Elder, Inland Chokecherry, Southwestern Cottonwood, Fremont Cottonwood, Lanceleaf Cottonwood, Narrowleaf Douglas-Fir Hackberry, Netleaf Hoptree, Narrowleaf Juniper, Alligator Juniper, One-seed Juniper, Rocky Mountain Juniper, Utah Oak, Gambel Oak, Gray Oak, Silverleaf Pine, Chihuahua Pine, Pinyon Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Southwestern White Sycamore, Arizona Walnut, Arizona Willow, Arroyo Willow, Sandbar Alnus oblongifolia Fraxinus velutina Acer negundo Prunus virens Populus fremontii Populus acuminate Populus angustifolia Pseudotsuga menziesii Celtis reticulata Ptelea angustifolia Juniperus deppeana Juniperus monosperma Juniperus scopulorum Juniperus osteosperma Quercus gambelii Quercus grisea Quercus hypoleucoides Pinus leiophylla Pinus edulis Pinus ponderosa Pinus strobiformis Platanus wrightii Juglans major Salix lasiolepis Salix exigua Betulaceae Oleaceae Aceraceae Rosaceae Salicaceae Salicaceae Salicaceae Pinaceae Ulmaceae Rutaceae Cupressaceae Cupressaceae Cupressaceae Cupressaceae Fagaceae Fagaceae Fagaceae Pinaceae Pinaceae Pinaceae Pinaceae Platanaceae Juglandaceae Salicaceae Salicaceae 2 FLOWERS Common Name Scientific Name Family Aster, Common Aster, Grand Bahia Bedstraw Beebalm Beeblossom Beeplant, Rocky Mountain Bitterweed Black Medic Bladderpod Blanketflower (Firewheel) Butterweed, Threadleaf Butterweed, New Mexico Carelessweed Cattail Chinchweed Cinquefoil, Scarlet Clammyweed Cloakfern Columbine, Golden Coneflower, Cutleaf Cosmos Cranesbill (Storksbill) Datura (Jimsonweed) Dayflower, Birdbill Evening Primrose, New Mexico Evening Primrose False Pennyroyal False Solomon’s Seal Geranium, Purple Gilia Globemallow, Fremont Goathead Goatsbeard, Meadow Goldeneye Goldenrod Goldensmoke Goosefoot, Fremont Heronbill Honeysuckle, White Flower Horehound Horsetail Horsetail Hyssop, Giant Larkspur Locoweed (Milkvetch) Aster adscendens Aster glaucodes Bahia pedata Galium rothrockii Monarda menthaefolia Gaura gracilis Cleome serrulata Hymenoxys spp. Medicago lupulina Lesquerella intermedia Gaillardia pulchella Senecio longilobus Senecio neomexicana Amaranthus palmeri Typha latifolia Pectis filipes Potentilla thurberi Polanisia trachysperma Notholaena standleyi Aquilegia chrysantha Rudebeckia laciniata Cosmos parviflorus Erodium cicutarium Datura meteloides Commelina dianthifolia Oenothera neomexicana Oenothera strigosa Hedeoma oblongifolia Smilacina racemosa Geranium caespitosum Gilia spp. Sphaeralcea fendleri Tribulus terretris Tragopogon pratensis Viguiera longifolia Solidago wrightii Corydalis aurea Chenopodium fremontii Erodium cicutarium Lonicera albiflora Marrubium vulgare Equisetum arvense Equisetum hiemale Agastache pallidiflora Delphinium ssp. Astragalus spp. Compositae Compositae Compositae Rubiaceae Labiatae Onagraceae Capparidaceae Compositae Compositae Cruciferae Compositae Compositae Compositae Amaranthaceae Typhaceae Compositae Rosaceae Capparidaceae Polypod

FOREST SERVICE U. S. Department of Agriculture GILA NATIONAL FOREST Wilderness Ranger District GEOLOGY OF THE GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS With observations keyed to the sign posts of the GILA CLIFF DWELLINGS TRAIL GUIDE Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and the surrounding Gila Wilderness are located in the southern Rocky Mountains volcanic province, one of several major volcanic terrains of middle Tertiary age in western North America. This province extends from the southern Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Sierra Madre Occidental in Mexico. Many episodes of volcanic eruption, faulting, and erosion have alternated through millions of years to form the landscape before you. You are standing within, and near the eastern margin, of a large volcanic collapse structure called the Gila Cliff Dwellings caldera. Collapse calderas such as this are formed by the rapid eruption of enormous amounts of pumice and ash which spread for tens of miles across the surrounding area. The removal of such a great volume of magma from a subsurface magma chamber, in a period of only days or weeks, removes support from the chamber roof, causing it to collapse into the magma chamber, in this case leaving a depression or caldera hundreds of feet deep and approximately ten miles across. These events took place about twenty eight million years ago and were followed by more eruptions that filled the caldera so that the depression is no longer present. Faulting and erosion have further modified the land to form the present landscape. The geologic materials that you see at the mouth of Cliff Dweller Canyon include three bedrock formations plus the floodplain sediments that are being deposited today along the West Fork of the Gila River. Each year, seasonal floods deposit sand and gravel over the banks of the river and occasionally large floods uproot trees and destroy bridges. Meanwhile, the river continues its main work of wearing away the hillsides and mountains and transporting the eroded rock debris downstream and eventually to the ocean. • Parking Lot The white outcrops in the lower cliff on the north side of the parking lot are called Bloodgood Canyon Tuff, (BCT), named for the Bloodgood Canyon, which is on the other side of the ridge at the head of Cliff Dweller Canyon. The BCT is 28 million years old and is the formation that erupted and filled the Gila Cliff Dwellings caldera after it collapsed. Only the upper 50 feet or less of the tuff is seen at the parking lot, but holes drilled downstream near Doc Campbell’s Post, during exploration for hot, geothermal water, have shown that the tuff is about 600 feet thick. Upstream along the West Fork of the Gila River, where the tuff outcrops rise higher and higher above the surface, it forms cliffs up to 1100 feet high and the bottom of the tuff still is not visible. The Bloodgood Canyon Tuff was produced by a special kind of extremely explosive volcanic eruption during which a huge column of pumice and ash collapsed, the pyroclastic materials piled up at the base of the eruption column, and then rushed out over the surrounding countryside at speeds up to 100 km or 60 m per hour. The pumice and ash formed a sheet up to hundreds of feet thick, which thins away from the eruptive vent or vents. Such ash-flow 1 sheets, or ignimbrites, make up very low profile dome-shaped volcanoes, which with their typically collapsed caldera vent areas, are very different from the classical, high, symmetrical, cone-shaped volcano. Tuffs, such as the BCT, are also described by geologists and volcanologists as ash-flow tuffs, pyroclastic flows, ignimbrites, and welded tuffs to distinguish them from the somewhat less catastrophic tuffs formed as fallout from ash clouds that are dispersed in the upper atmosphere. Pyroclastic flows, or ash-flow tuffs, are a mixture of hot pumice and ash particles enclosed in a cloud of fiery hot gases, which not only increases their mobility, but also saves much of the original heat of the eruption, which results in welding together of the pyroclastic fragments after they are deposited, if the temperature has remained above about 600-750 degrees Centigrade. Depending upon the temperature, and the pressure of overlying material, welding can be quite varied throughout a deposit, and there can be a complete range from non-welded tuff to completely welded tuff. The BCT at the north side of the parking lot is moderately welded, as determined from the partially flattened pumice fragments that give the tuff a weakly layered or foliated appearance. This rock contains rounded, glassy crystal of quartz and rectangular glassy to dull white crystals of feldspar of the variety called sanidine. The crystals are mainly less than 1/10th of an inch (2-3 mm) across. When the sun reflects of these rocks, some of the sanidine crystals show a satiny sheen or even a blue color if the light is just right, and this gives rise to the name “moonstone.” Therefore, the BCT is commonly referred to as

Southwestern Region PRODUCED IN COOPERATION WITH Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society & Department of Natural Science, Western New Mexico University United States Department of Agriculture PREPARED BY Forest Service A Species Checklist for The Gila National Forest Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles and Mammals … 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Spruce-Fir Mt. Grassland Marsh/Open Decid. Riparian Conif. Riparian U – Uncommon X -- Extirpated T-Threatened S- Sensitive *R-Reintroduced *The Mexican Gray Wolf was reintroduced to the area in 1998. Information on this species was added to this listing by the staff of the Gila Visitor Center in March 2004. Illustrations by Hank Pavlokovich E-Endangered The particular status of species that are “listed” is shown in parenthesis following the name. Federal Status P – Permanent Resident S – Summer Resident W – Winter Resident The Residence column is for bats only and lists the time of year each Species normally appears in the checklist area. Residency Vegetation Type Preference 1. Desert 2. Oak Woodland 3. Oak-Juniper 4. Piñon-Juniper 5. Ponderosa Pine C – Common F – Fairly Common R – Rare Checklist Key Vegetation types on the Gila National Forest range from spruce/fir on the Mogollon Mountains and the Black Range, to Desert Scrub and remnant Grassland at lower elevations in the Burro Mountains. Ponderosa pine is the dominant species at mid-elevations, 6,000 to 7,000 feet. Piñon/Juniper or oak/juniper/piñon woodland is found on drier sites throughout the forest. This extreme range in elevation and the many corresponding vegetation types provide for a diverse fauna which includes 30 fish species, 11 amphibians, 44 reptiles and 84 mammals. Resident status is given only for migratory bats (see below). The remaining categories describe the habitat(s) where one is most likely to encounter each species, and specific habitat requirements. Using the Checklist __Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus __Black Bullhead Ictalurus melas __Yellow Bullhead Ictalurus natalis Catfish-Ictaluridae __ Desert Sucker Pantosteus clarki Rio Grande Sucker (S) Pantosteus plebeius __Sonora Sucker Catostomus insignis Suckers - Catostomidae __Chihuahua Chub (E) Gila nigrescens __Roundtail Chub (S) Gila robusta __Spikedace (T) Meda fulgida __Loach Minnow (T) Tiaroga cobitis __Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus __Longfin Dace Agosia chrysogaster __Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas __Red Shiner Cyprinella lutrensis __Beautiful Shiner (E) Cyprinella formosa __Carp Cyprinus carpio Minnows-Cyprinidae Trout, Salmon, and Graylings Salmonidae Gila Trout (E) Oncorhynchus gilae __Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout (S) Orcorhynchus clarki virginalis __Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss __Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarki __Brown Trout Salmo trutta Fish Abundance ■ ■ ■ ■ U F X F ■ ■ ■ F U F ■ ■ C F ■ C ■ ■ R U ■ R ■ ■ F F ■ R ■ Residence F Desert ■ Oak Woodland F Oak-Juniper ■ Pinyon-Juniper C Ponderosa Pine ■ Spruce-Fir R Mt. Grassland ■ Marsh/Open R __Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieui __Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides __Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus __Green Sunfish Leopomis cyanellus __ Longear Sunfish Lepomis megalotis White Crappie Pomoxis annularis Sunfishes - Centrarchidae __Gila Topminnows (E) Poeciliopsis occidentalis __Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis Topminows -Poeciliidae __Flathead Catfish Pylodictis olivaris Abundance Ponderosa Pine Pinyon-Juniper Oak-Juniper Oak Woodland Desert Residence ■ ■ U F ■ C ■ ■ U C ■ C ■ Spruce-Fir C Mt. Grassland ■ ■ Marsh/Open X F Conif.Riparian Decid. Riparian Conif.Riparian Decid. Riparian Amphibians Frogs-Ranidae __Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana __Chiricahua Leopard Frog Rana catesbeiana Lowland Leopard Frog Rana yavapaiensis Hylid Frogs - Hylidae __Western Chorus Frog Pseudacris triseriata __Mountain Treefrog Hyla eximia __Canyon Treefrog Hyla arenicolor __Red-Spotted Toad Bufo punctatus Bufo microscaphus Toads - Bufonidae __Woodhouse’s Toad Bufo woodhousii __Southwestern Toad Spadefoot Toads Pelobatidae __New Mexico Spadefoot Scaphiopus multiplicatus t Salamanders Ambystomatidae Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum Abundance Desert Oak Woodland R R ■ ■ ■ F C ■ F ■ ■ ■ ■ Ponderosa Pine F ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Residence F ■ Oak-Juniper ■ ■ Pinyon-Juniper F C C C Spruce-Fir ■ ■ Marsh/Open ■ ■ ■ Decid. Riparian ■ ■ ■ Conif.Riparian ■ Iguanas Iguanidae __Collared Lizard Crotaphytus collaris __Lesser Earless Lizard Holbrookia maculata __Greater Earless Lizard Cophosaurus texanus __Crevice Spiny Lizard Sceloporus poinsettii __Eastern Fence Lizard Sceloporus undulatus __Clark’s Spiny Lizard Sceloporus clarkii __Plateau Lizard Sceloporus virgatus __Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister __Tree Lizard Urosaurus Ornatus Short-horned Lizard Phrynosoma douglassii Texas Horned Lizard Phrynosoma cornutum Round Tailed Lizard Phrynosoma modestum Geckos Gekkonida