Montezuma Castle, which, continuing Arizona's naming tradition, was neither built by Montezuma nor is it actually a castle. This incredible cliff dwelling was built by the Sinagua people more than 800 years ago and somehow manages to look both ancient and architecturally impressive at the same time. Tucked high into the limestone cliff, it offered protection from weather, flooding, and probably the occasional uninvited neighbor dropping by at dinner time. It's amazing to think families lived here, raised children here, and climbed up and down ladders every day. Suddenly carrying groceries up a flight of stairs doesn't seem quite so bad. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Montezuma Castle - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

Well this is a great spot to be, The last residents , the Hopi, were here 700-900 years ago and built this cave like fortification with a river below. Accessible only by ladder and contained many rooms. i never heard the estimate of dwellers but i would guess 100 plus. the last tourists allowed in were in 1950. So you can only view from the trail. But you can see a lot of detail. Stone by Stone, water, food, everything up the ladders. Amazing. read more

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Amazing and well kept. Small walk on a paved path This was a must see for us! We had a family of 3 and we all loved it Very important part of history Again park pass was handy to use. read more

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On a trip back to Phoenix from Page, we decided to make a pit stop at Montezuma Castle National Monument. If you're going to Page, like I was, or to Sedona, or Flagstaff, I highly recommend that you made this attraction a stop on your itinerary. We stopped by on a Sunday about an hour and a half from close. We had no trouble finding a parking spot in their complimentary lot. Parking is free, but you do have to pay an entrance fee. Montezuma has nothing to do with Montezuma from Mexico. There is a story to the name which you'll find out while you're there. Instead, this National Monument, which is one of the oldest in the country, showcases what used to be a Native American settlement carved into a cliff. It's a majestic sight to behold from a distance. While you won't be able to go inside the old dwelling (you used to in the past before erosion caused safety concerns), there is information about the Castle as you take a short walk in a loop to see it and learn along the way. Inside where you pay, there's further information on the history of Montezuma Castle. Plus a gift shop. Most people take about 30 minutes to get through it. An hour tops. So it makes for a quick yet fulfilling pit stop. After you check it out, add Montezuma Well to your list. It's not in the same location, it's a 15 minute drive, but it seems cool too. I didn't have time to go but it's on my list for a future visit. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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Very cool place - expect to spend about 30-60 minutes to visit the gift shop, exhibits, and of course, see the castle! It's a very compact place, and very accessible for everyone. You can't go into the castle or the other structures since that would contribute to erosion, so if you want a more detailed look, bring binoculars. As you pull into the parking lot, you pass through the outside washrooms and then enter the visitor center, where you pay the admission fee or show the America the Beautiful Pass/US national parks access pass to get through. There's a small area with exhibits about the people who lived here, as well as a small shop with the standard national park system offerings. Head out the back to the trail to see the castle. I'm glad that they built a lot of shaded benches since it can get hot and you do need to spend at least a couple minutes peering and admiring it. On the path you can also see the Arizona Sycamore which people have defaced with graffiti and so the workers have covered them with burlap to help heal them up. Why are people so disappointing?! There's also another site with more pueblos and the nearby river. Short and sweet. Be sure to also explore Montezuma Well which is 20 minutes east of Montezuma Castle. It's a separate unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument so it's also included in this review. Montezuma Well is 20 minutes east of Montezuma Castle and well worth a stop! There's no entrance fee, but there's a small ranger station at the trailhead and a very enthusiastic volunteer who gave as an orientation speech of the human history of the area and the geology of the area. Without him, the visit would have been less impressive. The water in the sinkhole contains high levels of arsenic and carbon dioxide, so no fish are in the water...but don't worry there are plenty of leeches! Don't enter the water because of that, and also because you do not want to disturb the five species endemic to this spot of water. They're found nowhere else. Interestingly enough, there's near-constant volume of spring water even in times of severe drought, which would have seemed miraculous to the people who lived here. If you look from the rim, you can see several prehistoric dwellings right under the rim on the other side. Hiking down gets you close to more dwellings. Well worth a trip, especially as it's less crowded than the Castle. read more

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It's pretty cool; worth it on the trip out of Sedona. The different plaques are very informative and give you a different way to look at the monument post-early 1900s graffiti and looting. Theoretically, even if you didn't read a single thing just looking at the different areas and imagining how people lived on the side of a cliff is rather interesting. Know before you go, it's ten dollars per adult for entrance. I spent probably an hour on the very short loop of a walk and lingering. If you give yourself an hour, it's probably a very liberal guess of how long it would take the average bear. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Beaver Creek - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

Originally, I was only planning to go to the Tuzigoot National Monument during my trip to Jerome and Cottonwood, Arizona. I went to buy the admission for Tuzigoot and I was informed that my admission would also include free admission within the next week to go see Montezuma Castle National Monument. I had no idea that the pass would include both places. LUCKY me!! Anyhow, you must visit Montezuma Castle National Monument. It is absolutely amazing and breathtaking to see in person. It's so inspiring to think about how they built such a high-rise castle into the mountain. I absolutely loved the volunteer Park Ranger who was super knowledgeable and passionate about sharing information. One fact that he shared was that part of the reason that they built the structures into the mountain was to prevent them from being flooded away. He also shared about recent flooding events in the area from the past few years. He had additional photos to show and he was answering everybody's questions with such thorough information. The walk-through of the park itself was also amazing with lots of trees and a creek. Do not skip this!!! read more

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A really beautiful and remarkable reserve! Never thought I would see a cliff dwelling in a mountain! Impressive the Sinagua people were able to build such a marvelous structure. The reserve is a short walk around with nice gift shop. If you are driving up to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix then it's a quick short stop. Do not forget as this is a National Landmark it is included in the America the Beautiful annual pass. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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I like when it was free. $10 now. Kids 15 and under are free. If you bought the Grand Canyon pass you can get credit that payment towards an $80 annual pass which will include the castle. Otherwise fork out $10 read more

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Such an amazing site. There are ranger talks, clean bathrooms, stamps for your Natl Park book. Such a spectacular ruin. And a plus, on the way in, some guy sold fresh fry bread. So good!! Need a Natl Park pass. They check. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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I've seen some impressive real estate in my day... but a five-story cliffside condo built 700 years ago might be the ultimate "location, location, location." That's exactly what you'll find at Montezuma Castle National Monument. I'd been looking forward to seeing this place ever since we got to Arizona, but even with the anticipation I was still blown away when it finally came into view. Tucked high into the limestone cliff is an incredible dwelling built by the Sinagua people centuries ago. No cranes. No power tools. No Home Depot runs. Just ingenuity, determination, and a serious appreciation for a room with a view. And it hits you pretty quickly: turns out the original luxury high-rise in Arizona was built 700 years before the elevator. Standing there looking up, you can't help but marvel at the creativity and skill it must have taken to build something like this. It's the kind of place that makes modern construction feel a little... lazy. My only tiny disappointment is that you can't go inside the structure. I would have loved to see the interior. But honestly, how much can you complain about access to something that's been standing for 700 years? The fact that we can see it this well at all feels like a gift. The grounds are spectacularly maintained, the walking path is peaceful and shaded, and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. But the real magic here is the feeling of the place. There's a quiet reverence to it. You slow down, look up, and realize you're standing in front of a masterpiece built centuries before modern tools existed. Beautiful. Peaceful. A little bit magical. Five stars for a place that proves great architecture doesn't require Wi-Fi... just vision. If you find yourself headed to Sedona or the Grand Canyon from Phoenix (or back), take a slight detour and invest an hour or less of your time to see this spectacular site. You'll thank me later. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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My friend and I were on our way to Sedona, Montezuma Castle is right on the way, not to be passed up. It's a beautiful historical site. When you arrive at the visitors center, an adult entry fee payment of $10 is required. There is a gift shop and an historical learning center. You exit the building to follow a short paved scenic trail loop to see the castle. It is truly amazing to see in person. I's definitely worth the $10. With that being said, note a couple miles up is the Montezuma Well, also not to be missed and that is FREE! To note: we went on a Monday, arrived at around 12pm... not crowded at all. Also the visitor center bathrooms are closed, they do have porta johns in the parking lot with a porta hand wash station with soap. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

We planned to come here while driving to Sedona, but it was closed due to the government shutdown. Thankfully, the shutdown ended and it was open on our way out of Sedona. The site is small, and consists of a 1/3-mile loop trail. The cliff dwelling was interesting. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit, but it's a nice quick stop if you happen to be passing by. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

I don't know that I can add more to what's been said by all the reviewers, so I'll tell a story. I last visited Montezuma's Castle, which has nothing to do with Montezuma, that's another story for another time, when I was ten years old. Coming back 45 years later with my Mom and my wife was absolutely as magical as it was back then. To see where indigenous people lived on a cliff is a must for anyone interested in history and keeping it preserved. My only gripe was that the restrooms were closed, and the portable ones were not inviting. With the number of visitors, the restrooms need to be open. I recommend doing the entire loop trail, reading on the plaques, and even listening to the audio display. Afterwards, go inside and check out all the exhibits. I further recommend visiting the well - it's about 10 miles - 20 mins by car. The directions are below. From the Castle, head north on I-17 for four miles to the next exit (exit 293). Continue through the towns of McGuireville and Rimrock, following the signs for four miles to the entrance of the Well. The total distance from Montezuma Castle to Montezuma Well is 11 miles. Here's a teaser about the well The land around Montezuma Well has been home to many prehistoric groups of people since as early as 11,000 CE. The first historical groups came to the Verde Valley after Arizona became a territory in 1863. Some accounts claim that Spanish settlers traveled through the area earlier, in the 1500s, but did not settle there. I appreciated the park staff, many of whom are retired and volunteers who respect and love the land to preserve it for many more generations to come. read more

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Fri., 4/03/2026 - Stopped by Montezuma Castle National Monument. Address is 2800 Montezuma Castle Hwy, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. Parking is a little tight here. But we got lucky and found a spot. I saw people stopped outside of the parking lot, and parked on the side of the street and walking in. It's $10 fee and kids 15 and under are free. It's about a half mile to a mile walk, and it's all paved. Extremely, easy walk to the mountain Castle and nice nature. Staffs were so nice here. Bathroom is right before entering the building to pay in. View in person is amazing. Stopped by here on your next trip out here. read more

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Montezuma Castle National Monument is a five-story dwelling in Camp Verde. We stopped by on the way to Sedona from Phoenix. There was ample parking and an entrance fee. The Montezuma Castle is interesting to see and read about . It is aa 20 rooms dwelling built with limestone bricks . You cannot go in the dwelling . It is stated to be one of the best-preserved prehistoric dwellings in North America . This was a quick stop on the way to Sedona . read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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This is a really easy walk and it is super neat. I used my daughters 4th grade beautiful parks pass and we all got in for free. It gets busy and sometimes it can be challenging to park. I had a paper pass I printed but the ranger gave us a physical pass and had her sign it. They also gave us the thing to hold it and put it in the rear view mirror. Super friendly. There were Native American singers and drummers playing as we walked up. This was truly amazing. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

We made beautiful memories with my mom and Grandma and son!! it is well kept, we got to pet a rattlesnake! And the gift shop had many options! read more

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This is a nicely maintained monument with a small museum and paved walking trails. I like that the trees and vegetation are labeled and there are many interpretive signs throughout. The main cliff dwelling has been refurbished over the years and be sure to walk past this to see some partially reconstructed dwellings that originally were actually larger. The sycamore trees are beautiful, even in the winter when their bark is most visible. You can see everything in a hour or spend longer if you wish to chill out by the river. read more

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What a cool historic site! I had seen pictures when researching a trip that was going to take me in the area, and I'm super glad that I stopped to see it for myself. There is a little gift shop and educational area in the main building to give you a primer on the history of the site and it's just a short walk to see it for yourself. Very cool to see in person and think about the people that amazingly built it. read more

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Visited the National Park Montezuma Castle National Monument In Camp Verde, Arizona. Had to purchase tickets to enter- $10 per adult. You can get stamps if you had a national park passport book! Easy to walk trail and able to see the castle that was built into the mountain. read more

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20 room dwelling nestled into limestone high up on the cliffs. It's a very easy walk and spacious enough for many photos opportunities. Built almost 1000 years ago, it's survived so long partly because it's so inaccessible and luckily it's still being restored, preserved, and studied to this day. After the "castle" there is a little side path that leads to other dwellings in white limestone that are much more visible. These are more primitive in construction but I liked being able to see them closely with black soot still on some of the rocks from ancient fires. After this is a lake you can stop at and on the way out there is a large wood rectangular structure that shows a cool section view of Montezuma's Castle behind a window. The is facing toward the exit so you cant We it if you walk past it without turning around. Worth stopping at to see how it was occupied and to hear a little narrative if you press the button in the middle. read more

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This national park is located about an hour and a half from Phoenix and 30 minutes from Sedona. It is not too far off of the highway. There is ample parking. It cost $10 dollars per person to get in unless you are a senior, veteran, disabled, or have a park pass. The walk out to see the cave dwellings is very easy. The signage explains everything. There is a small museum and gift shop as well. I did not participate in a range lead experience although I know they have some. They also offer the junior Ranger badge for children. If you're in the area, it's pretty interesting and worth checking out. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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We visited in March on our way back to the valley from our honeymoon and the weather was overcast and beautiful. Wasn't terribly busy. Little gift shop with tons of things. We picked up a national park passport so we could get stamps from every national park. Neat little stop if you're near. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

We always pass the exit to Montezuma Castle driving north on the 17 from Phoenix to Flagstaff. The last week in February, we left early enough that we got the chance to stop and enjoy the National Monument as a break to our drive up. This was the absolute perfect day to see the monument. We are having an unseasonably warm winter this year and it worked out well for our trip. This is an incredibly easy hike. I would recommend it for anyone from a toddler to the elderly. Most of the walkway is a smooth paved sidewalk. The walk from the visitor center to Montezuma Castle is like walking down the block of your neighborhood. This is a very manageable hike for beginners. There are no hills or elevation. Patio benches with shade canopies are set throughout this peaceful, gorgeous circular trail that takes you from the visitor center to Montezuma castle, and then back towards the visitor center with a stop at a diorama with audio tour. There are several descriptive signs and plaques along the way, identifying historical sites, anthropology, and botany. There was a Ranger standing in front of Montezuma's Castle when we arrived, giving a short presentation and answering questions. It cost us $10 each to get in through the visitor center. Restrooms are located before the entrance. The visitor center has several stations set up describing life of the natives who lived in Montezuma Castle, and a gift shop. There is a large parking lot for this national monument. A dog cleanup station, trash bin and recycle bin are located between the parking lot and the picnic area. A winding walkway will take you down to the picnic area that has picnic tables and a large open dirt area on the bank of Beaver Creek. read more

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I love this place! The bathrooms are always clean. The process is easy to get in and the walk is gentle on the knees. The dwelling amazes me each time we see it. Beautiful weather. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Beautiful every time I see it! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

Beautiful. You have to stop here if you are going between Phoenix and Flagstaff. It breaks up the trip well! This dwelling is like a Petra but in Arizona. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

This was a nice stop on the way to Sedona from Phoenix. Not sure I would recommend seeing this on it's own. But it was a pretty cool view point. This would amazing if they could safely find a way to take people up there. The park ranger said he has gone inside a few times. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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Montezuma Castle is a fascinating, albeit small national monument. It's an easy detour if you're driving between Sedona and Phoenix. In fact, I had stopped here after I had to check out of my Sedona hotel and had time to kill before my flight home out of PHX. There is an entry fee, but they do accept the America The Beautiful Pass for national park entries. As of the fall of 2024, they were doing some renovations to parking and the visitor center. That did lead to parking being nearly full and not having the full NPS visitor center experience. Still, they had a modest makeshift gift shop and clean restrooms. Rangers and docents were also readily available to answer questions. The walk to the cliff dwellings is short and ducks in and out of shade. This was my first time seeing such dwellings and its fascinating to see them and then read about their residenr'a way of life. Small park with lots of great information. It's not a hiking or full day destination by any means but a cool, educational pit stop. read more

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我們要儘量去相信美好的東西， 相信他人的善意， 相信生活可以很精彩， 相信事情會更好，也相信努力會有意義， 你越相信， 就會越接近這些美好～ 到 Arizona , 要去Sedona 之前， 路過這個 national park, 想說， 來都來了， 選日不如撞日， 還是進來走走吧， 同行的朋友， 有人是 senior , 所以我們一行人進去完全不用錢耶， 話說幾百年前， 印地安人就在這， 搞了五層樓的隱藏式建築， 也很不容易！ read more

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Montezuma Castle is worth the time if you are in the area. Your mind starts to wonder how our ancestors lived and were so in touch with nature. The entrance is only $10 per person, clean restrooms, gift shop, homie working the counter was very friendly and the walk is only like 1/4 mile in. Very easy. read more

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I really like the ruins and the visitor center is a great museum and informative. The view is great and the Verde River is very close by and worth a visit. Signs indicate the location of both of these but the river is free. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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Beautiful! You enter through the gift shop and mini museum, then exit onto a half mile concrete loop. As you walk along, there are informational plaques informing you of the timeline of human occupation of the area, as well as some identifying native plants. Then, boom! There it is. It is both larger and smaller that you think it will be, which, I know, sounds crazy, but it has to do with perspective or something..... The public was allowed to explore the actual ruins until sometime in the 50's, when the National Parks foundation decided that that really wasn't a great idea, if they wanted to keep it around for future generations. I agree with Paul V.; go in the fall. We went the last week of October and the combination of the changing leaves, along with the lower sun reflecting off the cliff wall, really highlights the color and beauty of the ruins. Plus, it's not crazy hot, or littered with tourists! When we first arrived, the ranger checking us in informed us that an employee had captured a baby rattlesnake, if we wanted to check it out. We did! It was a little guy, maybe 1.5 feet long and was found by a visitor near the walking path. The employee took the opportunity to take measurements of the little guy, and held an impromptu Q&A session before releasing it. This is a small venue, and you can easily be in and out in an hour or less, depending on how much time you want to spend here. If you have a National Parks pass, it will get you in here, so that is a little extra bonus. Don't forget to stop at Montezuma's Well, as it is a "part 2" to the Castle, and you DON'T get charged a second admission fee! 61/2023 read more

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4 stars I was looking forward to taking my dog here the most because if the promise of a 2-mile loop plus views of the castle. Unfortunately, the trails are closed which bummed me out... But, I will say, this area is so worth the visit because of it's uniqueness. The Sinagua carved their homes out of stone, which is an amazing feat. Also amazing is its mark on American history. It looks and feels amazing to behold. I highly recommend paying this place a visit. The only downside is the fact that I can't carry my dog into the visitor's center to look at the museum, but otherwise, it wasn't a huge issue since my mom could watch my dog while I looked. However, this could be an issue for solo travelers traveling with dogs. read more

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This is a very interesting place to check out. You can learn about a piece of history here. The entrance fee is $10 per person and also allows entrance to the Tuzigoot National Monument. The path is paved and well-maintained to see the dwelling. read more

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If you are driving on I-17, this is a fairly convenient stop and is worth checking out. Montezuma Castle is about 3 miles or so off I-17. You have to drive by an Indian Casino to get there. They have a large parking area at the visitors' center. We visited here late in the afternoon after having stopped earlier at Tuzigoot National Monument. The $10 pp entry fee (at either one) gets you entrance to the other as well. They are only about a half hour apart. Once you pass through the VC, there is a paved 1/3 mile trail that takes you to a viewing point below the cliff dwelling. You can also see other smaller dwellings in pockets around the cliff. The trail also lets you walk down to the adjacent river, which was nice. There is also a secondary area where you can more closely approach eh cliff to examine the base up close. We got here just before 4 p.m. and had to get back on the road by 4:30 p.m. to drive back to Phoenix. I didn't feel that rushed, though we didn't spent much time at the VC. I think if you budget an hour here you could do it decent justice. read more

Montezuma Castle National Monument - Cliff dwelling. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Camp Verde, Arizona

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Beautiful park to walk through. It's a paved loop walk to see the dwellings in the cliff. A range is around to discuss and educate. Signs all over are very educational and fascinating. The trees and water and cliffs are a beautiful backdrop. And as always a National Park gift shop is always fun. The kids and dogs loved earning their junior ranger and bark ranger pins Here was our day trip agenda 1) Montezuma National Monument 2) Montezuma Well 3) Paige Springs Cellars for lunch and wine 4) DA Ranch Vineyards for more wine 5) Drove through Cottonwood 6) Tuzigoot National Monument 7) Jerome: Daisy mine and shops and restaurants It was a beautiful adventurous day! read more

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With the exception of the United Club at the Phoenix airport that made an excellent Old Fashioned, this was the very last stop on our adventures before we boarded the plane home. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality had this recommendation in her back pocket the entire trip and finally got to pull it out on the way back from Sedona. I'd weirdly sort of but not really been here last year - also on the return trip from the red rocks, I made a quick stop at Montezuma WELL, which is nearby and basically the same concept but it definitely wasn't as big of a deal as this was. If you're also frowning in confusion at Google Maps not knowing which Montezuma to go to, visit the Castle. As random pitstops go, this one is pretty convenient and easy to locate - it's right off the highway and takes about five minutes to get to, with tons of signage along the way (along with an intriguing casino, but that was clearly means to be an adventure for another time). We had GPS guiding us but in hindsight I don't think it's necessary. We're from the East Coast, so sometimes it's easy to forget that there is some seriously old shizzle located in this country. It's kind of a big deal if you happen to stumble across a house from the 1700s in NJ, but Montezuma can beat that by quite a few centuries - these ruins were built into the cliffs by the indigenous residents around 1050, which is absolutely insane and it's super impressive that it's still intact. You're really just not going to see something like this every day or every year. We'd just spent several days gaping at the gorgeous canyons in Sedona, so what was another 45 minutes of the same activity, more or less? You can definitely tell without assistance that there's something significant in the sides of the cliffs - it's clearly not just random, naturally formed caves or anything. They're actual dwellings, and it's wild to think that a civilization over a millennia ago was capable of building something like this that endured over that period of time. There was a park ranger roaming around by the best vantage points to offer guidance, and they also had little audio tours at the kiosks on the paths nearby. The Well nearby was just one tiny building, I believe, but this felt like almost a civilization in comparison. And with the additional park amenities at this one, the choice is a no-brainer. Since this is a national monument, the National Park Service was in attendance and had several reps roaming about. There was a trailer right off the parking lot where you could pay the entrance fee (about $10 I think), along with a little store with souvenirs, mostly broad National Park-themed since indigenous ruins aren't exactly screaming for a merchandise line. One issue they should immediately fix - have just a nominal little fridge selling water bottles. I made a mistake, admittedly, in not grabbing one for the road at the Airbnb, and by the time we got here in the 100-degree heat, I was regretting it. I had to get a $27 (yes, $27) water bottle to fill; you don't always know the cost of a mistake, but I did here. Even if they'd gauged the water bottles at $5, that's way more palatable. And keep in mind that this is really in the middle of nowhere so I don't see much of a downside to bringing a dose of civilization into the trailer at least. If you have the time (we BARELY did), chisel some out for this. read more

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As we were making our way out of Sedona, we decided to go and visit the Montezuma Castle... a very unique structure that was created by the locals. At that time this particular castle was built for roughly 52 people... the ladders, have since been removed that would get them from each level... they're not sure why the locals abandon the structure.. It could've been that they were forced out . Or possibly a drought. I wish we could've gotten a closer view. We actually wanted to stay a while and enjoy our lunch but they had closed the picnic area and most of the trails. I'm not sure if it was because they didn't have enough staff or that they just didn't want people on the property. We couldn't get a good sense of what was going on , it is a paid entrance fee which is very low but it's some thing you need to see in the Sedona area. We highly recommend that you go and support the museum. read more

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Such a cool stop on the way from Phoenix to Sedona. It's part of the national parks system and since we were planning to get an annual pass to see the Grand Canyon later in the trip, we went ahead and just bought it here. It's a short walk along a paved trail to see the monument built into the hillside. It's incredible to think about how people used to live in these dwellings and how they have stood the test of time. It doesn't take long to see. I'd set aside maybe 30 minutes, depending on how leisurely you'd like to walk and how closely you like to read all the signs. read more