The Upper and Lower Cliff Dwellings were fascinating. Imagining the people that lived this life so long ago is a whole other excursion for the mind.

We were so disappointed upon our arrival at the excellent visitor center, to learn that all the spots for the 'ranger led only' visits to the Upper dwellings were booked. Off we went on the short incline up to the 'lower' dwellings. Interesting! The paved path with information signs along the way was a great little walk.

We enjoyed the displays of artifacts in the visitor center very much. The items were excavated from the very ruins, and those in surrounding areas, that we had just visited. We decided to spend the night nearby to try for the Upper dwelling tour the next day. As we made our way to the exit we were called to the desk. Six people had not shown up for the tour which was leaving in 10 minutes. BAM!! It was our lucky day and off we went. We had just enough time to grab our cameras and one bottle of water. We were so grateful! The Upper dwelling would prove to be a larger area than the lower. It was fun and interesting to try to imagine the Salado people, as they have been named by archaeologists, living here going about their daily routines, as well as think about why they chose this challenging place to live.

The total for the two hikes was 3.2 miles and 1000' of elevation gain.