These impressive cliff dwellings consist of two dozen adobe homes, probably dating from the 13th century, that hug the west cliffside of the dramatic Arroyo Garabato canyon. A round-trip hike takes at least an hour from the small visitor center.
The cliff dwellings at Cuarenta Casas were known to the Spaniards as early as the 16th century, when explorer Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca wrote ‘…and here on the east side of the mountains we made our way more than 50 leagues into the hinterland and found 40 houses.’
