Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Arizona → Sedona Area → Montezuma Castle National Monument

Location: Near Camp Verde, South of Sedona, Arizona

Time Required: 30 minutes – 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: Open daily 8am – 5pm (closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day); entry is $10 for adults 16 and over (under 16 free). The permit also allows entry to nearby Tuzigoot National Monument. Note that entry to nearby Montezuma Well is free. Additional information can be found on the National Park website.

What’s Nearby?: Devil’s Bridge Trail, Soldier Pass-Brins Mesa Loop, Waterfall Trail on Fossil Creek, Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

Montezuma Castle is one of the most well-known and best-preserved examples of cliff dwellings in the American southwest. Tall limestone cliffs are separated from winding Beaver Creek by sycamore trees, and it’s not hard to imagine why the Sinagua would have built homes here, or why they would have lasted so long. They inhabited the area for hundreds of years, and Montezuma Castle is the last known occupied location, estimated to have been in use through 1425 CE. The cliff dwellings were likely built to avoid seasonal flooding of the creek while providing access to the floodplain for agriculture. Prior to 1951, people were allowed to go inside the ruins, but access was stopped due to concerns over preservation (as one would expect). Many people don’t realize that Montezuma Castle isn’t the only cliff dwelling at this site; the ruins of a second, much less well preserved dwelling (“Castle A”) are located only a short distance away. This dwelling is thought to have been even larger than Montezuma Castle. Both sites can be accessed via a 0.3 mile walkway along the floodplain, which also loops around to edge of the creek.

Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Arizona → Sedona Area → Montezuma Castle National Monument