The Canyon Creek Cliff Dwelling is, to my knowledge, the largest and best-preserved of all cliff dwellings in Arizona that remains unprotected, undeveloped for public interpretation, and located off the beaten path (in short, the largest ruin that's still a great hiking destination). However, this ruin on the Apache Indian Reservation is not on public land and therefore not included in the book Ruins Seldom Seen. Also, searching for this dwelling in a remote side canyon of 50-mile-long Canyon Creek is like looking for a needle in a haystack, and I couldn't find the darned place until well after the book was published. Since you cannot read about this ruin in my book, I'm providing the following historical overview...

History

It’s a solitary place today, but back then the canyon was bustling with activity. Residents grew corn, beans and squash, gathered acorns and walnuts, and hunted deer, rabbit and wild turkey. They spun cotton, wove grass baskets, fashioned jewelry out of bone and turquoise, and made beautiful black-and-red-on-white pottery. When not working, they enjoyed cane cigarettes and played music with cane flutes. Traders came and went, bringing items like seashells and macaw feathers from distant lands, or more important commodities like extra food for the growing population.

The Mogollon occupation of the canyon didn't last long. By 1375 residents began moving away, and by the early 1400s the Canyon Creek cliff dwelling was completely abandoned. Nobody is sure why these Native Americans left, but possible factors include lack of leadership throughout the region, a breakdown in trade relationships, competition with other communities, and perhaps even outright conflict with others.

But deer, elk, falcons, rattlesnakes and other wildlife still live in and around the ruin. It's nice to know that not every living creature has abandoned – or been banned from – such a beautiful and mysterious place.