The Salado are believed to have been a group of wayfaring Anasazi who experienced moderate Mogollon influence and migrated into the Tonto Basin/Roosevelt Lake/Globe, Arizona region about 900 AD.

The Salado lived comfortably here for several centuries prospering because of their artistic skills with ceramics and the weaving of cotton fabrics. Their black-and-white-on-red polychrome pottery became the hallmark of their culture.

For some reason, the Salado began migrating south around 1200 AD. After a brief sojourn with the Hohokam, to whom they brought pueblo architecture, pottery and burial styles, they dispersed into southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, then disappeared from the historic record altogether

Well-preserved cliff dwellings were occupied by the Salado culture between 1150 and 1450 AD. The people farmed in the Salt River Valley and supplemented their diet by hunting and gathering native wildlife and plants. The Salado were fine craftsmen, producing some of the most exquisite polychrome pottery and intricately woven textiles to be found in the Southwest.
The Monument is located in the Upper Sonoran ecosystem, characteristic Saguaro Cactus. Other common plants include: cholla, prickly pear, hedgehog and barrel cactus (blooming April through June); yucca, sotol, and agave; creosote bush and ocotillo; palo verde and mesquite trees; an amazing variety of colorful wild flowers (February through March); and a lush riparian area which supports large Arizona black walnut, sycamore, and hackberry trees.

Animals native to Tonto National Monument include: whitetail and mule deer; mountain lion and bobcat; javelina, porcupine, coyote, and ringtail; jackrabbit and desert cottontail; several squirrel, chipmunk, and bat species; all four species of North American skunk; three rattlesnake species; Arizona coral snake; over a dozen other snake species; Gila monster and over a dozen other lizard species; four toad and frog species; and over 100 bird species.