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- Tonto Nat’l Monument
Tonto National Monument, Arizona
ACTIVITIES
Historic Interest
Birding
Ancient Ruins
Wildlife
The cliff dwellings found at Tonto National Monument offer kids a chance to learn more about the Salado Culture. Located in the upper sonoran ecosystem, known primarily for its characteristic saguaro cactus, this Arizona archaeology site is perched more than 1000 feet (300 meters) above the Tonto Basin and is reminiscent of the Ancestral Puebloan ruins found in Gila, Mesa Verde, Betatakin and Keet Seel. Explore the upper and lower cliff dwellings. Participate in an interpretive program and become a junior ranger. And should the kids need a break from from history and culture spot wildlife - whitetail deer, mule deer, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote and jackrabbit are native to the Tonto Basin - and birds or check out cactus in bloom.
- Travel Planning Essentials
- Maps, Music & History
- Trip Planner
- Fun Stuff for Kids
History & Culture
A trip to Tonto National Monument in Arizona provides an opportunity for parents to introduce kids to the Ancestral Puebloans and desert life. Find out more about the Salado Culture, a mixture of Mogollon, Hohokam and Anasazi peoples, that inhabited the Tonto Basin for three hundred years from A.D. 1150 to 1450 and built cliff dwellings from roughly A.D. 1350. Learn about the plants, animals and birds that call the Tonto Basin home.
- Salado Culture
- Beloit College
- National Park Service
- Nature & Science
- National Park Service
Maps
Online maps are a great travel planning resource and a great way to get the kids involved in a family vacation. Plot your route Tonto National Monument and find your way when you arrive.
- Area Maps in PDF
- National Park Service
Books
Books are a great way to introduce younger children to a new adventure and get teens and tweens ready for a family trip. Find age appropriate reading lists for budding archaeologists and learn more about the Salado Culture as well as their Ancestral Puebloan cousins the Mollogon, Hohokam and Anasazi peoples.
- Reading Lists for Adults
- Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
- Reading Lists for Kids
- Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Music & Sound
Music is a great way to introduce children to a local culture and embark on a journey through sound. Listen to Native American music from hip-hop to pow-wow to storytelling. Discover cowboy song online and gain insight to this Southwestern state.
- Native American Music
- Native Radio
- Cowboy Song
- Cowboy Cultural Music
News
Local newspapers provide insight to local culture in a way books can't do. Read Arizona newspapers online and brush up on Arizona current events from around the state. Get Arizona news and discover what Arizonans are reading. Find out what's happening in the Navajo and Hopi nations and what the Hispanic community is talking about.
- Arizona Newspapers
- Arizona Republic
- AzStarNet
- Navajo Hopi Observer
- Prensa Hispana
Kids' Stuff
Online resources make learning the Salado fun. Read A day in the life of a Salado Family and Food from Desert Plants and gain insight to the Salado way of life. Find out which desert plants the Salado used to make clothes and which desert plants they consumed. Find out how they made bows and arrows and how they cooked their food. Print out a birding checklist and, in addition to discovering which species live in the Sonoran Desert, hold a competition and keep track of who spots the most birds.
- A Day in the Life of a Salado Family
- National Park Service
- Food from Desert Plants
- National Park Service
- Birding Checklist
- National Park Service
Organizations
Associations and non-profit organizations can be a valuable resource as well as means to get involved. Find out more about bird watching, Arizona's number one tourist activity, as well as the twenty-five national parks, monuments and recreational areas located throughout the state.
- Birding in Arizona
- Audubon Arizona
- Arizona Parks & Monuments
- National Park Service
Recommended Reads for Family Travel to
Arizona
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Travel Trivia
The Apatosaurus is also known as the: