Montezuma Castle National Monument – Camp Verde AZ

If you are traveling through central Arizona (say on your way to or from the Grand Canyon) and need to stretch your legs, then I would recommend a quick stop at Montezuma Castle.  Montezuma Castle is a National Monument, operated by the National Park service.  It is easy to find and more importantly it doesn’t take the entire day (or more) to explore.  

Located just 50 miles south of Flagstaff and 94 miles north of Phoenix, Montezuma Castle makes a perfect place to break up your journey through the Grand Canyon State. 

Cliff Dwellers

The main attraction is the impressive five-story, 20 room cliff dwelling tucked into a cliff recess approximately 100 feet above the valley floor. Early American settlers marveled at the structure and assumed it was Aztec in origin, hence the name Montezuma Castle.  

Due to its age, height and deterioration visitors are not permitted to enter the dwelling but can view it from several angles while strolling on a 1/3 mile concrete trail which skirts the cliff base and terminates at the rivers edge. 

Sinagua People early residence of the Camp Verde valley.

If ancient inhabitants interest you then this park will provide a unique perspective of the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture that is closely related to the Hohokam peoples of southwestern United States.  It is estimated that the Sinagua people lived in this area between 1100 and 1425.

The Southern Sinagua lived by farming and supplementing their staple crops with hunting and gathering.  The area surrounding Montezuma’s Castle is rich in natural resources and offers an abundance of water and game; such as deer, antelope rabbit and bear.

It is a mystery why the southern Sinagua migrated away from their pueblos but some guesses include overpopulation, depletion of resources, disease, conflict between groups or perhaps even spiritual beliefs.

The walk is flat and there are multiple benches scattered along the way to just sit back and enjoy this structure.

Additional attractions in the area

Although I didn’t visit them, there are other attractions related to Montezuma’s Castle nearby.  Some of these include Montezuma Well (one exit north of 289) and the Tuzigoot National Monument near Dead Horse State Park in Cottonwood, AZ.

Additional information can be found regarding these attractions at the Visitor Center. While at the visitor center check out some of the information regarding these ancient inhabitants and see many of the artifacts they have found in the castle.

Whether it is a quick stop or you want to spend the day visiting these unique places, You will definitely loose track of time wondering what it might have been like to live 100 feet up and on the side of a cliff. I bet the view was incredible!