Exploring Cactus & Cliff Dwellings at Tonto National Monument | Roosevelt, AZ

Come with me and my parents to marvel at the native Sonoran Desert cactus and plants as we climb the trail at Tonto National Monument to visit the lower cliff dwellings. Tonto National Monument is just under a 2 hour drive from my house, located right next to Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Afterwards, we'll take a short drive to Theodore Roosevelt Dam, because why not?
I absolutely love the National Parks Service in the United States. I got hooked soon after moving to Arizona and driving out to Petrified Forest to see the magic of the desert following a colleague's recommendation. That's when I purchased my National Parks Passport book and started collecting cancellation stamps. I quickly exhausted all the parks within a 4 hour drive of my home and started to look farther away. Every time I visited a city/state for some other purpose, like a wedding, I would carve time out to visit the nearest National Parks, Monuments, and historical sites. I've collected cancellation stamps in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. Still many, many more parks to visit and stamps to collect!
More about Tonto National Monument: www.nps.gov/tont/index.htm
One of the most entertaining Instagram accounts ever: / nationalparkservice
0:00 Intro & start of hike
8:28 Exploring the lower cliff dwelling
12:04 Starting the return hike down
15:10 Dead plant vs. chicken debate
15:41 Cactus Patch Trail
18:53 Back at the visitor center
19:24 Visitor center gift shop
20:57 Visitor center museum
24:32 Theodore Roosevelt Dam
Connect with me on Instagram: / cookiescacti

[@lu.ko.2597]

Family ❤

[@cookiescacti]

💚💚💚 family 💚💚💚

[@billgolightly7203]

Excellent video! Thanks for taking us along.

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you so much for taking the walk with us, Bill!

[@shepardsinsequence]

I admire that your parents share your passion ! Have an amazing week !

[@cookiescacti]

It's hard not to fall in love with the spiny giants 💚💚💚 I hope you have an amazing week too!

[@carolync4862]

Thank you for taking us along on your trip. This park is something that I would have otherwise never gotten to see. The view from the cliff dwellings was spectacular and thank you for pausing at the written signs enabling us to read them. Great video.

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this trip to the national monument! It's one of those parks that's really out of the way and probably isn't so well known, so I'm really glad I was able to share it with you 💚

[@tara1971able]

Great video and tour, thank you! It’s so wonderful to see so many Saguaro 🌵 healthy in habitat, I hope the heavy rains you had helped and didn’t harm them.

[@cookiescacti]

The plants and Phoenix are looking a lot better after the winter rains! I was shocked when I visited my parents place and saw the cactus all plumped up. I hope they got a good long drink to prepare for the upcoming summer season!

[@millieclark1085]

Thank you ,enjoyed the trip.

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you for coming along on this trip, Millie!

[@markgibsons_SWpottery]

Jojoba plant! that is the name! We really enjoyed this one in our household! Jojoba is a coffee substitute. Thanks for taking us with!!! I have always wanted to take extra cactus into these parks and plant them there! Your parents are great! Love em!

[@cookiescacti]

Does that mean Jojoba produces beans too? Must Google. I'm so glad you enjoyed this trip, Mark!

[@markgibsons_SWpottery]

Jojoba is a nut bean like thing. I wondered more if it has caffeine.. its not in my area, so we aren't experienced with it, just hear the stories and read the books. lol! @@cookiescacti

[@taichi427]

What an interesting trip,! Thank you for taking us along. ❤

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this trip! I'm really happy to be able to share it with you all 💚

[@barbie_t]

Great video, thank you for sharing your experience with us ❤. Don't worry Dad, Julius is catching up 😊

[@cookiescacti]

Hahahahaha, I am sharing your comment with my Dad, Barbie!

[@barbie_t]

@@cookiescacti 🩷

[@williamalvey632]

Hi Jenny thank you for taking us on your trip I really enjoyed it what a place I found it very beautiful and interesting and the history wow

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this little plant hike to these mysterious cliff dwellings, William! I miss winter break hahahaha

[@wimhance6541]

I enjoyed this a lot. Thank you.

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you so much for joining us on this trip!

[@dannyf8-nv668]

So cool! I love exploring places like this. Might have to visit it on one of our yearly trips to Arizona. Thanks for sharing

[@cookiescacti]

Lots of cool national parks and monuments in Arizona! Especially the smaller parks because they're usually less visited with less people. I think I've exhausted almost all the parks in a 4 hour drive radius around my house lol

[@joshualennox3599]

I just saw a picture of this place and knew it from this video so I’d say this is a great tour

[@cookiescacti]

Have you been there before Joshua?

[@Fabdanc]

Your parents are so cute. I also collect magnets 😂

[@cookiescacti]

Hehehe, they are the best 💚 Do you collect magnets from places you visit too?

[@Fabdanc]

@@cookiescacti 💯 I'll occasionally settle for a 51 cent penny.

[@naturelover2335]

Very nice place!

[@cookiescacti]

I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! 💚🙏

[@AmericanaGardens]

Great adventure! I would love to visit the place.

[@cookiescacti]

It's a really nice drive if you have a chance to visit!

[@yaddahaysmarmalite4059]

this video was beyond cool! here I was expecting a video of desert habitat and you throw in an ancient cliff dwelling. I'm stunned. obviously they grew corn; I assume those metates are original to the location.

[@cookiescacti]

I'm glad you found some surprises in this video! I always find it funny that I walk around trying to identify plants but mostly with question marks at the end of every sentence LOL

[@chaiwatpotichanid]

Just kupchak picture really doesn't heard people on meetings question agree ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🥰🥰👍

[@cookiescacti]

💚💚💚💚💚🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏💚💚💚💚💚

[@HyrimBot]

yeah, it's super cool. you should check out Great Sand Dunes National Park if you ever go up that way. i own five acres of land near there. not sure what i'll do with it though. it's in a high desert of south central Colorado so it can get quite cold. thanks for taking us along to see this.

[@HyrimBot]

i think that "agave?" might be a yucca.

[@HyrimBot]

the thrasher is my spirit animal.

[@HyrimBot]

i've never heard of a Sotol before.

[@HyrimBot]

that roadside geology book is really good.

[@HyrimBot]

also going to leave this right here because Gila monsters are my favorite. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4K7Y3apgqh1b68si=G4jCrk_UgmOkmczx i made a pile of Gila monster screen print artwork a while back. might post an image of one of them on my page later.

[@Sylvicolus]

That shrub with the leaves that are held up, is jojoba. A source of oil.

[@markgibsons_SWpottery]

agreed!

[@cookiescacti]

Thank you so much for identifying that plant! My dad and I have been asking each other about that plant for the last month or so lol. I know it's something commonly found around here but couldn't for the life of me remember what it was!

[@SERHII_KOSTENKO]

Дякую за пречудову екскурсію. Чому ті люди мешкали так далеко? Вони переховувалися?

[@cookiescacti]

Good question! I imagine they picked somewhere that's secure and safe. It's still a mystery on where the people went eventually.

[@SERHII_KOSTENKO]

​@@cookiescactiбудемо сподіватися що вони просто переїхали у велике місто😊