Tonto National Monument

Tonto National Monument was established in 1907 by President Theodore Roosevelt to preserve and protect critical archaeological evidence of the prehistoric Salado culture of central Arizona’s Tonto Basin.

For at least 10,000 years, the Tonto Basin area has provided and continues to provide a home to many diverse peoples, emphasizing past and present ties to home and heritage. Permanent settlements started around 100–600 CE. By 1275, thousands of people lived in the Tonto Basin. Archaeologists refer to this mixed-cultural phenomenon as the Salado culture, represented by some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the American Southwest. Today, natural and cultural resources within the monument are significant to a number of contemporary Indigenous tribes, as evidenced by oral history and continuing traditional practices. Designated an International Dark-Sky Park in 2019, the beautiful landscape is home to many nocturnal animals including scorpions, ringtails, owls, and 14 species of bats.