Although Tonto National Monument was established in1907 it received little protection until 1930. Considerablevandalism and thoughtless destruction of much of the prehistoricmaterial took place in the 1920s.

In recent years some prehistoric Indian ruins have had tobe closed to visitors to preserve these fragile structures.Please help us keep the Lower Ruin open for many years tocome: restrain children from climbing and running in thedwelling, and keep off the walls.

HOW TO USE YOUR TRAIL GUIDE

Along the trail and in the ruin are numbered stakes indicatingfeatures of interest. Corresponding numbered paragraphsin this booklet describe them.

TONTO TRAIL

Brutal heat in summer, hard frosts in winter, strongshrivelling winds of spring, and always erratic rainfall combinehere to make a desert, a place of extremes. The world’sarid lands are of many kinds; here is the Upper SonoranDesert, with its giant cactus and remarkably varied plantlife. Here are found many creatures which have adapted inbehavior or body features to arid conditions. Man too hasevolved in the desert in many ways, over at least ten thousandyears, from roving bands of primitive hunters to themassive urban developments of today.

Nearly seven hundred years ago farming Indians nowcalled the Salado (sa-LAH-doe) fitted their lives to thisdesert. They lived in cool, thick-walled apartment-like villages,grew irrigated crops of corn, squash, beans, cotton andamaranth (pigweed), made handsome pottery and wove elaboratecotton textiles. Though capable farmers, the Saladowere also hunters and gatherers, well aware of the uses2to be made of the desert’s wild resources.

As you walk the winding half-mile trail to the LowerRuin you will see many desert plants used by the Salado solong ago, some of the birds, and perhaps other wild creaturesof the desert which are active during the day.

Take time to breathe the fragrant dry air of the desert,look about you, enjoy just being, listen to the silence. Don’tfeel bound to reading this little book; this is simply a guideto some of what you will see. We hope that you will see—andfeel—much more.

1 BABY SAGUARO. This little white-spined cactus,an infant less than ten years old now, will grow up in ahundred years or so to look like the towering giants scatteredover these hills. Young saguaros (sah-WAR-ohs) aredelicate and need a “nurse tree” like this mesquite to shelterthem from the sun.

2 HEDGEHOG CACTUS. The first cactus to bloom eachspring; the large magenta blossoms of this many-headedplant must have been a welcome sight to the Salad

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