NPS Photo by Andrew Herzik

Rabbit brush in bloom in the Gila Wilderness.

Because of its remote location, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument and the surrounding Gila Wilderness suffer few of the problems that parks closer to urban areas do. There are relatively few invasive species and little air or light pollution. There is seldom any extraneous noise, although some may come on rare occasion from low-flying airliners or rowdy campers. Giardia may be present in the rivers, streams, and springs and therefore all water obtained in the backcountry or from untreated sources should be filtered using a .2 micron filter. Vistas from ridge and mountaintops may be spectular and the weather is usually pleasant during the summer, although it may very hot during the drier months.