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This is the place I wanted to keep to myself...from my last visit years ago(2019)...I'm glad it still hasn't gained much popularity , maybe because it is a little bit of the way compared with the montezuma castle which was pretty crowded when I visited. The trail started from the parking lot where the Ranger station is. It's a loop! You are supposed to do it counterclockwise by passing the ranger station first. it was about 75 feet you will be at the overlook it's a bit steep and def took my breath away. The rest part of the trail was more smooth you will see all interesting desert plants along the way. It was 60 degrees but with the Arizona sun, it still got hot even I only wore a camisole top and I saw someone holding an umbrella:p To go down to the water, I was told it is about 100 steps... please be realistic about your capability. however, I must missed the stairs going down. I think it is a monument however it is free to visit without pass required!
We stopped at Montezuma Well Archaeological Site right after we saw Montezuma Castle in late February. They are a short distance from each other if driving, and can easily both be seen in the same day. Montezuma Well is considered a sub site of Montezuma Castle National Monument. They were both inhabited by the Sinagua People of the Verde Valley in Central Arizona. You can see cave dwellings built into the side of the cliff of this collapsed limestone sinkhole. A 1/3-mile, paved uphill trail leads you to the rim of this desert naturally occurring spring. This would be a short easy hike, but the elevation made it a little challenging for me, personally, and I stopped twice to catch my breath. Hubs had no problem and continued without stopping. You may continue on and walk around the Well and explore pueblos and other areas if you wish. This will extend the distance of your hike. Water is usually scarce in this desert environment so Montezuma Well has always been seen as a sacred landscape, with water constantly flowing up from underground. The Hopi, Yavapai, and Western Apache all had special names for this hidden spring. 15 million gallons of water spring from underground here. Even during drought, 1.6 million gallons of water flow through the Well's floor vents daily. There are no fish here, but freshwater leeches instead. This place had the opposite vibe for me, than that of Montezuma Castle, which felt nestled and protected in the shadow of the mountain. Here where we were at the top of the mountain withstanding harsh winds that could blow us over into the well if we weren't careful. It made it a little creepier to know that leeches would meet us as we plunged into the water. This was a fascinating trip for us, being biologists. Because of the high levels of carbon dioxide in the water, this Well is home to five organisms that exist only here and nowhere else on earth - a shrimp-like amphipod, a little snail, a leech, a water scorpion, and a diatom. Ducks land and feed on the surface and between these six organisms, a unique ecosystem exists. Dogs are welcome here as long as they are on leashes and stay on the trail. There's a men's and women's restroom near the parking lot. There is no charge to enter Montezuma Well. A large nicely paved parking lot is available at the bottom of the trail near the Ranger station.
Monetezuma Well is one of the spots you should visit if you're planning a day trip from Phoenix or Flagstaff, and you're heading through Sedona. Calling it a 'well' is a bit of a misnomer since it's essentially a giant crater that helps churn water through to local towns, and one that you can admire from above. It's free to visit (compared to the castle which is $10 a person) and a relaxing and peaceful site. From the top, you can choose to walk down the steps to visit a cave area that was tagged by folks back in the late 1800s before the well got popular. You do have to hike up a short hill in order to reach the summit of the well. However, it's not too strenuous and no further climbing is needed once you reach the top. If you stay above, spend some time taking photos of the views and the crater. It's well worth a visit.
There are two ways to get here....the long way and the short way. We chose the long (fun) way, which is about 2 miles, I think (?) on a dusty, dirt road. We chose the short road to exit. Technically, this is part of the Montezuma Castle park, and you pay there. We hit this place first, and were not asked to pay, or if we had a parks pass. The ranger's office is right at the beginning of the trail, and they give everyone that visits a quick run down of the trail set up. First, you head up a hill and from up there, you get a great view of the well and the cliff dwellings. As you walk away from them, you will see a small marker pointing down. If you're not steady on your feet, probably don't go on this trail, because it is full of rocks that you need to climb down, and climb up, as there is only one way in and out. Climb down the rocks, and you will eventually be walking parallel to the well, and you will come to some cliff dwellings in the rocks across from it. You can't go in them, but you can shine a light and see how far they go back into the cave. Walk back the way you came and follow the trail to the left, to pass through some remains of ancient housing. The trail will take you to another stone path where you can see the creek that the well empties into and gets filled up from. Again, turning to the left when you're done with the creek, you will walk through a small field and eventually end up back at the parking lot. The whole thing can take you less than an hour, depending on your interest level. I have the National Parks passport book, and asked the ranger if they had a stamp. They do, and it is different than the one for the castle, so if you need your book stamped, don't forget to ask! Definitely worth checking out, and you can make a day/afternoon of it with the Castle and Tuzigoot, like we did! 27/2024
Amazingly friendly National Park Service volunteers and employees. And WHAT a hidden gem this place is! We only found out about this place during a visit to the sister site Montezuma Castle. A couple questions and a quick google later showed us it was relatively close by (maybe about a 12 minute drive) so we decided to make the most of our newly acquired parks and monument pass and headed on over! And I am so glad we did! This isn't so much a "well" as it is a natural spring surrounded by some cliff dwellings and gorgeous landscapes. A literal desert oasis. Spectacularly beautiful, and unexpectedly so. Going up the hill and getting to the overlook and first view of the spring was a literal "WOW" moment. There are plenty of informational signs that are a thousand percent worth reading to learn about the history and use of this site. And there are two short off-shoot trails that are so so so cool! One goes down in to the lower area of the well for a better look at the dwellings along the far side, and up close look in to the caves that were made in to dwellings (though, do not enter...give the bats their safe home!), and very very old graffiti and painted advertisements! The other one goes down a side of a bluff towards Beaver Creek and you get to be up close and personal with ancient irrigation trenches! Like holy cow...people created these hundreds and hundreds of years ago and, though minor updates have been done in order to protect and preserve them long term....it baffles the mind that they were made so long ago and still exist so completely! Like....wow. This place is fantastic! So interesting and insanely beautiful! You should seriously find a way to visit here.
Some of my earliest memories I have are me running around the trails around the well. I mentioned in my review of Montezuma Castle that I would beg to come visit as a kid. I loved it here. I was a weird kid though. This visit was able to bring my kids to enjoy the amazing history and views of the Montezuma Well. The scene at the well will just take you back to a time in the southwest that we can only imagine in movies. Standing at the rim of the well you can see the few dwellings that still exist. A little history of the location is that there were a few "permanent" residents but mostly people traveling through would camp all around the top of the well while traveling. Its just so interesting. The ancient residents dug an irrigation canal from the well to Montezuma's Castle to water their crops. Its incredible. When I was young I wanted to jump around the creek and canal but my mother told me there was giant turtle that lived in it and it would bite me. I believed her. Giant turtle aside, there are leaches in the water. So you and your children have been warned. You can walk down to the base of the well from the interior. There is actually graffiti from the 1800's. Its fascinating. So many travelers came through here. There is another little sciency thing I love to think about. If you are standing at the well and look to the West and see the mountain range, the rain and snow that falls there, flows through the ground on the path of least resistance to the well. That's incredible! I don't care what order you visit you must visit both the Well and the Castle if you can when in Arizona.
When you arrive to this location hopefully there is a spot for you car. The parking lot was pretty limited, but we did not have to wait too long for a spot to open up. To get to the Montezuma well, you have to hike up to the top of the hill to see it. It is a fairly short hike up and does not require too much. Once you get to the top, you walk a bit farther and you can see the well. The well was so clear, it was breathtaking. I previously visited the Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monument so we added this to our itinerary as well. This well also had a part of the mountain that looked like what I saw at the Tuzigoot National Monument. Considering it took some time to drive over to this area, I was surprised to see how this was connected to the other places since it was quite some distance. This one was definitely worth a look!
Well, well, well. What to we have here? If ever there was a misleading name, this is it. You hear "well" and you think, at the very least, water. And you'd be right. But this is not a well that's been dug. And certainly Montezuma wasn't doing any digging or discovering. Instead, what we have is a big sinkhole-lookin' hole in the ground, with some ancient ruins, that was once a very important spot for the Sinagua inhabitants. Oh, and it's not potable. Due to the levels of arsenic, drinking from here is a no-no. But what is definitely a yes-yes is the lovely paved walk that leads you to the overlook. It does become rocky at the very end, and if you want to go all the way down to the water, then you leave the pavement to walk the trail down. But we stayed up above with the dog (dogs welcome on leash, btw) to imagine what it would have been like to come across this cliffed-in lake in the desert. Luckily for those ancient folks, it wasn't the only water in the area. The creek runs on the edge of the monument, but on our trip the steep walkway down to the shore was blocked off and closed; I'm not sure if that's a maintenance thing, a COVID thing, neither, or both. But it would be fun to get to the shore. We had a lovely stroll at this surprise stop. There's not much parking, but not much is needed. I get the impression that Montezuma Castle is the real highlight, and the well (a separate stop a few miles away) is much less trafficked.
The history of this spot is fantastic. We made a quick stop here and looked around a bit but didn't have much time because the gates closed at 4:45 and it was already 4:30. After we got back to the hotel I read more about the history and we decided to go back again the next morning. If you are planning to make this a stop definitely read up on its history BEFORE you go. It makes the experience way more interesting.
There is no cost to go see the Montezuma Well. But you do have to walk up 31 steps to get there. It's not a steep climb but there is plenty of room to stop and rest. Or you can take the sidewalk that is 1/3 of a mile. We went up the steps and back on the sidewalk. Once you get to the top watch your step because you are walking on a limestone slabs. Not much shade up there ether. There are some Old juniper trees that are really cool. It a limestone sink that was formed long ago that is still fed by a continuously flowing spring. The well has no fish in it. It has high levels of carbon dioxide 80 times higher then most lakes. The only thing that lives in the well is. Miniature shrimp looking amphipod - tiny snails - water scorpion and lots of leeches. So don't fall in. Along the rim was houses built in the rock that the Indians lived in. It was really cool to learn that people lived like that. And used the water to irrigate their crops. There was paths that you could take and get closer to the water but we just walked to the car very hot. We seen a lot of vegetation and cactus.
I didn't really expect much when we decided to stop by Montezuma Well. We had an hour or two to spare which is plenty for the visit. There is a lot of interesting information and history on the walk that you can read. My favorite part was walking down to the water where you get a completely different view of the place.
Fascinating and scenic place to take a hike and spend some time outdoors! Montezuma's Well is a natural sinkhole where 1,500,000 gallons of water emerge per DAY from a natural spring. There are 5 species that exist in the well that exist nowhere else on earth - including a type of scorpion and leech. The water is very alkaline, and has 80 times the amount of carbon-dioxide in the water as a lake would, so there are no fish at all. It was the first federally managed park to have an underwater archeological survey done. One of the signs said they still do them, and are unsure how deep the well is. People have lived in the area for 10,000 years, and the well was used for irrigation as far back as the 8th century. The remains of ancient settlements can still be seen around the rim of the well, along the trail that leads down to the bottom, and in the nearby area. From the top of the well you have a scenic view of the well below you, as well as mountains off in the distance. There is a trail that goes around the well from the main viewing area to the other side (not completely around though). From the main viewing area, there is a trail you can follow down the sides, past some old dwellings, to the water itself. You can see the place where the water escapes under the side of the rock wall. If you take the trail away from the well, which is located on the far side of the top of the well, it leads you down the side of the mountain, along side the ancient man-made canal, to the place where the water emerges from underneath the rock. A small stream makes its way nearby. On a weekday when there are less people, its an idyllic place to walk around and enjoy the sights and sounds of a terrific setting. I recommend reading each of the signs around the rim of the well, as they do a good job of explaining what you are looking at, and several interesting facts about the well and the people who used to live around it. You can do all of the trails at a leisurely pace in an hour. Montezuma's Castle is only a 15 minute drive away, so you can easily do both in a day. read more
11 years ago
This is one of my favorite places to visit in Arizona, though most people don't know it exists. Anytime I'm traveling in northern Arizona I try to visit. You get off on exit 293 on I-17 and then travel about 4-5 miles east. There is a small parking lot that can accommodate about 7-8 cars. Parking is free and so is the attraction. Most people only know about Montezuma's Castle a few miles south of here as it is better promoted. When you park you walk up the hill. As you walk up the hill you wouldn't know there's anything at the top. There are signs along the path describing the various plants, including my favorite, the Creosote. Be sure to smell the Creosote bush. The smell of the plant is how the whole desert smells after a good rain. When I think of the Sonoran desert this is what I think of. Once you get to the top of the hill, you'll find the hill is actually a big open pit and at the bottom of the pit it is filled with water fed by an underground river. In the sides of the pit are Indian cliff house ruins (on a much smaller scale versus Montezuma's Castle). It is extremely peaceful and quiet since most people don't know about this place. There is a trail that leads you down to the water's edge, where there are more ruins. In these ruins there were some bats hanging out (literally and figuratively), as it's a little cave-like. The water from the well leaks out and feeds the Wet Beaver Creek, which is how the Indians used to irrigate their crops hundreds of years ago. Unfortunately the trail leading to the outlet was closed for some reason. The water in the pit has very high levels of carbon dioxide which prevents most water life from not being able to live in it. There are 5 unique water animals living in the pit, including a leech, a shrimp, a water scorpion and two others. This place is a good 30 minute diversion when up in northern Arizona. I highly recommend it. read more
Once you have hit the Montezuma Castle national monument, the only logical thing to do is to hit up Montezuma's well. I thought it was quirky, but as it turns out, the well itself is a small lake that doubles as a life source for the ancestral peoples who had inhabited this earth before the Europeans. Montezuma's Well is a larger than life natural limestone sinkhole that is part of the Montezuma Castle national monument, probably due to the name and the prehistoric ancestral dwellings that are located around the well itself. 1.5 million gallons of water emerge each day through the well through an underground spring. Don't worry though, the water is very undrinkable due to the fact that the water is carbonated and there are high traces of arsenic in the water itself. The well is pretty darn big and it was kind of epic to be able to look at it while walking around the trail and just seeing it in its entirety. I spent about maybe a good hour or so at the Montezuma well. The climb up the stairs was quite interesting, but it was a nice time up and a nice workout too. The park ranger told me that it was about less than half a mile to walk the entire circumference of the well and the trail. I was glad that I came around midday, so I could have had time to do other things after this stop here at the Montezuma Well. The overall experience here at the Montezuma Well was pretty good, morsel of the fact that there was no entrance fee charged. Yep you heard right folks, it was absolutely free! I thought it was going to be five dollars or $10 admission but I was told by the national Park service Ranger that it was free of charge and he offered a advice on war to see and look for along the trail while overseeing the well itself. The Montezuma well is located at appropriately named Montezuma Well Road, just right off the I-17. Whether you are traveling north or south, you'll find the signage and exit appropriately. The parking here is very limited however you can find a good parking space depending on the time of day that you come here. I would advise that earlier the better in the day, just so that you have time to do other things afterwards. The National Park Service ranger was very informative and he knew his stuff. The service year was great especially because there's no admission fee. There are plenty of informational exhibit signs along the trail, so you're definitely informed about what wildlife is in the area, what native people have inhabited these lands before the Europeans came through, and many other interesting factoids that are associated with Montezuma's well. I'm not too sure if this is a tourist trap or not, but is definitely free and definitely well worth to come here and pay a visit and learn something new. It's fun to see history come alive when actually seeing that cliff dwellings above the well itself. I learned about the Hopis and the Pueblos during school and just seeing them live during my vacation here in Arizona made everything click for me. While you will find restrooms in the visitor parking lot, that's pretty much it. There is a stairs leading dong to a freshwater shaded area, but that's the only beauty you would find below - unless of course desert beauty is your thing too. I would like to recommend that you come here, not just for it being free admission but just for the history and the sheer beauty of the area. The sinkhole that is the Montezuma well is just gorgeous and scenic. Well you may not want to jump in there like a swimming pool, it's just nice to look at from afar. 5.0 stars for it being free, 4.0 stars for the scenic walking tour and a nice break from driving up and down from I-17 on the way to Sedona and Grand Canyon. Support local! A- read more
13 years ago
I was all excited for Montezuma's Castle to see the ruins...and then bitterly disappointed that they were so far away and the only way to really get a look was via binoculars. Montezuma's Well actually let me see cliff dwellings from a much closer vantage point!!! This is the most unexpected treasure. You can view the "well" from the top, hike down into the basin (pretty easy hike) or take a walk along the stream that the well leaks down into. Lots of great photo opportunities. The paths are paved for easy access most of the way but parking is at a premium! read more
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I moved to AZ around 2.5 years ago and I've been driving to all of its reaches ever since. Montezumas Well is one of the highlights for sure. Serene, peaceful and absolutely beautiful. It's not hard to imagine why they settled here so many ages ago, aside from abundant water nearby there is a quality to the air here that reminds me of Sedona, it's not too distant neighbor for sure. Don't just hoof it down to the interior, climb back up and leave. Look for the path around the rim and follow it down to the river where the well drains to. Huge Arizona Sycamore trees and a babbling brook await. This is a special place to me, I'm sure it will be to you as well. read more
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A huge sinkhole filled with water in the desert! The best part is this is free. There are some old ruins at the top rim and along the side so you can see a few examples of the architecture. You can see some more impressive ones at Montezuma's Castle, but it has an entrance fee. On the other hand, if this was not in the middle of a desert it wouldn't be that exciting to look at. If you are in the area you should swing by because it's free! read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
Montezuma Well is not as well known as nearby Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot, but worth visiting. It is also free for all, unlike the others. There are old dwellings here, in the cliff and down close to the water. The water is full of special leeches and other small critters, along with some ducks on the surface. We enjoyed taking the trails down to the water and around. Sometimes flowers are blooming down where it is shaded and wet, but not in October. read more
8 years ago
So much history here, it's so beautiful and amazingly well kept. The people who once lived here made this paradise in the desert. Must see if you're in Sedona area or just visiting Arizona in general! Seriously this is a one of a kind historical park. Please leave it as is though. There was a volunteer or employee maybe at the end of the walk way down by the canals, he was so very knowledgeable and friendly! I will come back here and bring anyone I can to experience this magical place. We were even able to bring our dogs out on the trail. read more
6 years ago
9 years ago
A phenomenon of nature surrounded by historical dwellings that are over 1300 years old! I was in awe... Walking among the rocks and trees, looking at the caves, watching the lake water - I felt like I traveled back in time. An easy and pleasant walk half way around the lake and through the field. There are many informational placards places next to certain plants describing their nutritional and medicinal use. There are stairs to the lake and caves. There are also stairs to the creek. I highly recommend visiting here. read more
6 years ago
11 years ago
exclusive exquisite serene aquatic natural tranquil bliss wow... i live this place more pics to come read more
17 years ago
Don't listen to those reviewers who say there is nothing to see here! True, it's basically a big whole in the ground with water in it but that is pretty impressive when you think that it is a continuously fed natural spring in the middle of an otherwise complete arid environment. Along the path up top, there are plaques pointing out the native vegetation like mesquite and juniper trees, cacti, and scrub... when we went for Labor Day the wildflowers were in full bloom for monsoon season and all the salt bushes had bright yellow flowers. At the bottom, nearer to the water, you can see lots of lizards, squirrels, and other animals coming by for a drink. It is shady down there from the cliff walls and large sycamore trees so its comfortable even in the summer. We didn't see any deer or other larger mammals but we did watch a flock of ducks playing in the water and eating the agae. The inscription also said that after the sun goes down you can see tons of leeches come to the surface; I don't think I would want to see that though, I had a hard enough time with all the spiders down in the cavern area... and as mentioned by others there are a lot of ants, too. If you follow the main path it is only 1/2 a mile and completely paved. Someone in a wheelchair or stroller may have difficulty going up the stairs at the beginning but you could always start on the other side of the parking lot and then turn around to go back the way you came when you got to the stairs. You get to see wonderful views of the San Francisco Peaks and Mogollon Rim from up there, it is awesome! Plus, you can look down onto the cliff dwelling and into the well. For the more adventurous you can take the stairs down to the bottom of the well and get a closer look at the water and what is left of the cave walls (yes, the whole thing was a giant cave before the roof caved in hundreds of years ago) as well as the spot where the water seeps out. After you get back to the main path, there is another side trail that will lead you down to the outside of the cavern so you can see the water coming out the other side of the swallet and flowing thru an irrigation ditch to Beaver Creek. There is so much beautiful nature in the area it was a real pleasure just to walk around and explore. I found the literature on the signs along the path and extra info we got from the ranger very educational. (PS Ranger was an extremely nice guy, he even waited around to make sure we got out ok since we stayed a little past closing). I think especially for kids it will really spark their imagination to see this little oasis in the desert and the remnants of the ancient people who once lived there. All this for free! read more
This is about 11 or 12 miles north of Montezuma Castle and this one is free. I liked this site more than Montezuma's Castle. You can also see some of the dwellings here and walk down to were the well drains into the creek. Very cool. read more
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This well was way more exciting than the castle if you have to choose come this way! You can hike down to the well, around the well, and down to the water outlet near the river. There are up close ruins as well. read more
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