A collection of travel and adventure stories

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Description and Directions >>

Description:
Montezuma Castle is an Arizona National Monument containing ancient Indian ruins. The main ruin is a large 5-story structure built into the cliff walls. There is a visitor center containing various exhibits on the history and geography of the area. A short 1/3 mile paved trail allows you to easily view the castle.

Activities:
sightseeing, hiking, history

Directions:
Montezuma Castle is located 3 miles off Interstate 17. Use Exit Number 289, and continue to the access road that is 1/2 mile past the Cliff Castle Casino. The nearest major cities are Flagstaff (50 miles), Prescott (55 miles), and Phoenix (100 miles).

Story Date 4/11/2005
Publish Date 12/27/2005

Story Perspectives >>

According to Mikala: Montezuma Castle National Monument is very easy to visit and allows you to see an ancient Indian dwelling up close. Montezuma's Castle is very impressive. It is a large 5-story dwelling that the Sinagua Indian people built into the white cliff walls, about 70 feet above the floor of the canyon. As we walked along the paved trail, we were surrounded by various bushes and tall trees. Visitors are not allowed to climb up to the monument, so we were only able to take pictures from the trail. It is still very interesting to see, although I would have loved to explore the inside of the ruins, just to get a feel for what it might have been like.

After stopping by the visitors center at the beginning of the trail, I could just imagine the life that occurred here. The castle was misnamed by early explorers, as Montezuma never visited this area. The ancient Sinagua people farmed the land around the ruins between the 12th and 14th centuries.