Gila Hot Springs, is located on the West Fork of the Gila River in the Gila National Forest about 40 miles north of Silver City, center of a major copper mining district in the U.S. in southwestern New Mexico. A popular tourist destination in the area, the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is located four miles northwest of the Gila Hot Springs. The area in the vicinity of the Gila Cliff Dwellings has been occupied by various cultures as far back as 10 to 12,000 years. These various people started with Archaic cultures through Early- and Late-Pit House, and Classic Pueblo Periods to present Apache cultures