Montezuma Castle National Monument

Gaze through the windows of the past into one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a 1,000 year-old story of ingenuity and survival in an unforgiving desert landscape.

Marveling at this enduring legacy of the Sinagua culture reveals a people surprisingly similar to ourselves.

		Visiting Montezuma Well Montezuma Well, a unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument, is a place like no other in the world. This unique geologic feature is located 11 miles from Montezuma Castle and is home to species of animals found nowhere else on the planet. Take your time as you wander the trails exploring pre-historic Sinaguan cliff dwellings, pueblo ruins, and a 1,000 year old irrigation ditch that still in use by local residents today! more...

An Inside Look At Montezuma Castle

In 1951, the National Park Service closed the Montezuma Castle cliff dwelling to the general public to prevent further damage to the structure. Since then, only national park personnel have been allowed to enter the ruin to monitor and maintain its stability and study its construction. Go on a virtual tour of a place few people get to see and get an unprecedented look inside one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America.
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		Montezuma Well: A Living Oasis This article about Montezuma Well, prepared for the National Park Service in 1987, has been converted into electronic form in memory of long-time volunteer, Jack Beckman. Jack, who spent 34 years assisting park staff at Montezuma Well, passed away on February 3rd, 2008. He was 98 years old.

Write to

Montezuma Castle National Monument
P. O. Box 219
Camp Verde, Arizona 86322

Phone

Visitor Center
(928) 567-3322

Park Headquarters
(928) 567-5276

Fax

(928) 567-3597

Climate

Summers in the Verde Valley are generally hot and dry. Although, it often cools down considerably at night. Winters can be snowy at times with temperatures ranging between 14-45 degrees.

Always carry plenty of water when exploring the desert, even during the winter, since the extremely dry air can dehydrate you quickly. During the hottest summer months (May-September), even one gallon of water per person per day may not be adequate to prevent heat injuries.

Communities Surrounding Montezuma Castle National Monument

Note: The times listed below are approximate driving times to the park.
Camp Verde, AZ (10 min. ) Pop. 9,451 Rimrock, AZ (12 min. ) Lake Montezuma, AZ (19 min. ) Pop. 3,344 Cornville, AZ (22 min. ) Pop. 3,335 Dewey, AZ (30 min. ) Clarkdale, AZ (30 min. ) Pop. 3,422 Munds Park, AZ (32 min. ) Pop. 1,250 Sedona, AZ (33 min. ) Pop. 10,192	Jerome, AZ (34 min. ) Pop. 329 Humboldt, AZ (34 min. ) Prescott Valley, AZ (39 min. ) Pop. 23,535 Mayer, AZ (40 min. ) Pop. 1,408 Red Rock, AZ (46 min. ) Happy Jack, AZ (57 min. ) Mormon Lake, AZ (59 min. ) Pine, AZ (1 hr. 4 min. ) Pop. 3,582


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