While Europeans lead a series of crusades into the Middle East and Marco Polo set out for China, the Mogollon Culture began to disappear in southwestern United States. The Mogollon people first expanded into the mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico about 200 BC. Their homes, at first, were pit houses, gradually becoming more complex with time. The 700 year old Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse of the last of the Mogollon dwellings near today's Silver City, New Mexico. The cliff dwellings were utilized for a short period of time, from the 1280s through the early 1300s. By 1450 AD they had merged physically and culturally with surrounding tribes. And by the time the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, local Indians had no recollection of those who had built the grand structures of this national monument.
     Today's Mogollon cliff dwellings look very much as they did when they were last inhabited. The 100 year old park is surrounded by the Gila National Forest and lies at the edge of the Gila Wilderness.
     Gila Forest visitors find unique beauty in its rugged mountains. Mogollon Baldy, Castle Rock, Eagle Peak Mountain, and the Burro Mountains are accentuated by deep canyons, and highlighted with mountain meadows. Cactus marks the lower elevations, with ponderosa pine, Gambel's oak, Douglas fir, pinon pine, alligator juniper, and aspen forests covering the high mountains. Wildlife sightings, such as black bear, mountain lion, elk, deer, antelope, bighorn sheep, and wild turkey keep only those with sharp eyes entertained.