Montezuma's Castle is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in the United States. It was built by the Sinagua Indian Culture over 600 years ago. Montezuma's Castle is situated above the Verde River. This beautiful cliff dwelling has five-storys and about 20-rooms. It was proclaimed a National Park in 1906. The ruin is located in a recess half way up a cliff, but you can only view it from below. We recall visiting the site many years ago when we were permitted to visit the many facinating rooms. Of course, the site soon began to be loved to death by tourists and the Park Service had to restrict travel onto the site as they have done to almost all sites in the US. So in 1951, the National Park Service closed Montezuma Castle to the public to prevent further damage to the structure. Today, only park personnel are allowed inside. Early settlers to the area thought the imposing structure was connected to the ancient Aztec emperor Montezuma, but this "castle" was abandoned almost a century before Montezuma was born. From the Visitor Center you can take a short trail with signs explaining the details of what is known about the people who built the cliff dwelling. To reach Montezuma's Castle from Phoenix, take I-17 north to Exit 289 and follow the signs 3 miles to the Visitor Center parking lot.

If you are planning to visit Montezuma's Well and you are coming from outside of Arizona, you could fly into Phoenix and then rent a car. Montezuma's Castle is on the scenic I-17 route between Phoenix and Flagstaff. There are hotels and motels all along the way in nearby towns. We have some links to Priceline.com on this page since they can arrange all of your air flights, hotels and car. You may need some outdoor clothing and equipment, if you plan to visit Montezuma's Castle. We have some links to Altrec on this page since they are a good online source for outdoor gear. We of course, appreciate your use of the advertising on our pages, since it helps us to keep this page active.

Montezuma Castle.	Bee Hive Above The Castle.
George In The Shade.	George & Bob In Shade.
The Awesome Three.	Bob Taking Pictures.

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