Tonto National Monument

Although these ruins are further north of phoenix, they are well worth the drive, taking you past Roosevelt Dam and Roosevelt Lake. 

Tonto is another site of cliff dwellings, much like Montezuma's castle near Sedona.  However, these ruins are  not only accessible by tourists, but also stemmed from a different tribe, the Salado.  Like Montezuma, the site dates back 700 years, and the people suddenly abandoned the site, without a trace.  What they have left behind is an illustration of the way of life hundreds of years ago, and the arduous task of daily life of the indian - living in a desert climate and bilding a home inside of a mountain. 

it was tough for me just hiking the half mile to the top of the small mountain, where the ruins were located.  Once these particular ruins had 19 rooms, and were only accessible by ladder.  I could see remainders of grinding stones, and the wooden beams that had been carried up for support of the walls and ceiling.

to anyone that is interested in how people once lived, looking at ancient ruins, this is a wonderful and breathtaking destination, not to mention the incredible view of the tonto basin below.