The Mexicans called the cave Garabato, a Spanish word, which in Mexico is used in the sense of "decorative designs," and refers here to ancient paintings or scrawlings on the house walls.

The cave is situated in a gorge on the northern slope of the Arroyo Garabato, which drains into the Rio Chico.

It is in conglomerate formation, faces east, and lies about 215 feet above the bottom of the gorge.

The ascent is steep and somewhat difficult.

At a little distance the high, regular walls of the houses, with their many door and window openings, presented a most striking contrast to their surroundings of snow-covered jagged cliffs, in the lonely wilderness of pine woods.