This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. 234 reviews of Montezuma Castle National Monument "Another amazing ancient dwelling proclaimed in 1906 as "of the greatest ethnological and scientific interest." Or is it not too bad when the temps are upper 80s due to the shade ? There isn't a whole lot besides the main path and the gift shop. We only spent about 30 minutes, which was plenty. There are benches, shade and a visitor center. Also the jewelry at the gift shop is VERY reasonably priced and made by reputable crafstmen. Established December 8, 1906, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. Montezuma Castle National Monument protects a set of well-preserved dwellings located in Camp Verde, Arizona which were built and used by the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture closely related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United … Montezuma Well. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. How much time is needed here? The loop can be done in 10 minutes if you are pressed for time. Arizona’s Montezuma Castle National Monument Is A 20-Room Cliff Dwelling From Prehistoric Times. Many different native tribes have lived in Arizona over the years, constructing architectural wonders for homes. Not a whole lot to see. I really enjoyed the space and took a lot more time than anticipated, but if time is tight, it's a very "quick visit friendly" type of space as well. Montezuma Castle National Monument, Camp Verde: "How much time should I allot for my trip to..." | Check out 12 answers, plus see 2,489 reviews, articles, and 1,719 photos of Montezuma Castle National Monument, ranked No.3 on Tripadvisor among 32 attractions in Camp Verde. Even if they're not doing the tour there walking around and they can answer any questions but at the very least it should take an hour they have an area where you can sit and just look up at the mountsin side at the majesty of it , do allow time to drive down to the well it's very beautiful and you get to walk down it they have a path as well that should take about an hour but defeintly wirtht the 5 min drive there. Zoom in to see updated info. The Visitor Center at Montezuma Castle, shown at the right, has information for both places. I’m glad we stopped at Montezuma Castle and Well, even if the visit was much too short. Map updates are paused. I can't wait. Thank you. Enjoy your visit. Worth a stop. Dog owners must pick up after their pets. I'd say less than an hour. While there are certainly quite a few that have stood the test of time, the Montezuma Castle National Monument is quite the formidable place to visit as the structure is … We spent 15 to 30 minutes there however we did not do the museum. Hello! Dogs are welcome on park trails but must remain on leash. Do we need to take a tour from Phoenix to access the monument? Montezuma Castle is the remains of a settlement inhabited by the Sinagua people from the early 1100s to around 1425. Entrance fees can be … We will arrive Sept 23 and are stopping here... What is a good length of time to do due diligence to the sight and what is admission cost? It is often linked to the bacterium E. coli. They were all abandoned … Recto: l.r. The park visitor center and much of the paved trail at the castle are wheelchair accessible. Montezuma’s Castle is a national monument and you will need to pay an entrance fee of $10 per adult (16 years old and over). We will be driving by this site around noon on a 90 degree day and wondering if we should skip it because my Mom does not do well in the heat. Also there are shady places for a stop and a rest, The trail is very accessible. 3 3/8 x 5 5/16 in. The rangers didn't give tours when we were there. If you are also visiting Mesa Verde, I wouldn't bother with this stop, as it is a disappointment next to that, but if you're not going to Mesa Verde, this will be a quick place to catch your breath and see some ruins closeby. If you just wanted to run in and see the castle you could so in 10 mins quite easily. We recommend booking Montezuma Castle National Monument tours ahead of time to secure your spot. I was wondering if we could do Jerome and Montezuma's... Hi. The Visitor Center at Montezuma Castle has information about both the Castle and the Well. We were there for about 30 minutes- it's only a 2 minute walk to get there and there are a few trails. An hour would be perfect. She could wait in the Visitor's Center (or the car) and your walk on the trail wouldn't be too hot. It’s one of Arizona’s most famous landmarks: a pair of 900-year-old limestone cliff dwellings whose sudden abandonment centuries ago has proven to be one of the Southwest’s most enduring mysteries.. New evidence suggests that the site — now part of Montezuma Castle National Monument — was not simply evacuated by its inhabitants, as archaeologists have believed for more than 80 years. ca. We will be there in less than 1 week! Two Locations, So Much To See! However, Montezuma’s Well has free admission! How much time should I allot for my trip to Montezuma's Castle? Mom could do the reasonable walk outside as soon as you arrive. For some reason, the site was abandoned around 1425. Montezuma Castle National Monument is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm (last vehicle entry is at 4:45 pm), except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve, when it closes at 2 pm, and Christmas Day and New Year's Day, when it is closed all day. Small gift shop and 3 or 4 sights on the "trail". There is quite a bit of shade. We only plan on walking the main path, maybe taking a handful of photos, and probably just breezing thru any visitors center/museum. An hour or less would be plenty of time unless you want to browse the gift shop and spend extra time talking to the on site ranger. Whether you visit just Montezuma Castle, or add in a side trip to Montezuma Well, you'll be inspired by the Sinagua culture. Montezuma Castle is at a high elevation in a dry … off I-17, about 50 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona. Listen to the Ranger's presentation if you have a chance--very informative. Wondering if you are planning a stop at Slide Rock. You can walk the outside is less than 1/2 hour if need be, but it interesting and you may linger- not if really hot though. The loop is pretty short and you can do it quite quickly, in maybe 15 minutes if you don't stop for long. That would have been nice, though. Montezuma Castle. Could we just drive there in our... Do you have America the beautiful annual passes? Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well are two parts of the same monument, and are separated by about 11 miles. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the site Montezuma Castle National Monument. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water, some snacks, and a great camera. I think you should plan for a minimum 's of one hour, but you could stay much longer if you want to really soak everything in. A five storey, 20 room dwelling built into the side of a cliff. Object Details. Photographs Medium. It was going to be 110 degrees the day we went, so we were there early. Montezuma Castle has a nice visitors center that your mom could stay in, and the walk to see the castle is an easily accessible sidewalk that would be pretty easy. It's a very short walk and there is shade nearby, so I doubt the heat will prove a big concern. Montezuma’s Castle is one destination that I hear Arizona visitors talking about visiting on a regular basis. I read something about reservations. Many people think that Montezuma's Castle has something to do with the King of the Aztecs. Worth the stop in my opinion! You’ll find a small information center at the entrance that’s open every day of the year from 8 am to 5 pm. Enjoy! An hour/hour and a half is plenty. After waiting for parking, visiting the site should be about an hour tops. Montezuma's Castle & Well National Monument. Get quick answers from Montezuma Castle National Monument staff and past visitors. One such place is Montezuma Castle National Monument, a 20-room cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua people nearly 1,000 years ago. I am so thankful for this forum. See all 11 Montezuma Castle National Monument tours on Tripadvisor Montezuma II is the namesake of Montezuma's revenge, a form of diarrhea that arises when a tourist consumes a food that he/she does not often eat. It will take you 10-20 minutes maximum. It’s good for 7 days. in image: Montezuma \ Castle \ National Monument. Parking is usually next to the visitors center and the ruins are a short walk from the center so you should be alright. You can make of it what you want. Both places have a short, 1/3 mile trail to see the archeological remains, as well as a picnic area. Nearly a thousand years to a time when the Sinagua people inhabited this amazing five-story cliff dwelling. Montezuma Castle National Monument . The site's name is a misnomer as is it has no connection to Montezuma. We stopped on our way from the airport to Flagstaff. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. I have yet another question. Well worth a stop! Back on the highway, we floored it to Phoenix. A self-guided, 1/3-mile loop trail leads you past an incredible 5-story cliff dwelling, through a beautiful sycamore grove and along spring-fed Beaver Creek, one of only a few perennial streams in Arizona. We heard that was fun, but it was raining and cool when we were there. You can make of it what you want. We were there during school spring break (so lots of people) and had no trouble finding a parking spot very close to the center. Montezuma Castle National Monument Trail - Arizona | AllTrails 1931 Object Type. You should be done in an hour depends on if the Rangers are doing the free tour or not. I think that the visit to Montezuma Castle would be good. The Visitors' Center has a lot of information and air conditioning. While the site was looted and damaged in the late 1800s, in 1897 the Arizona Antiquarian Association repaired as much as it could. They used ladders to enter it. Montezuma Castle itself was constructed and occupied during the period 1200 to 1450. The Montezuma Castle is located on Camp Verde Rd. Do it! Postcard Dimensions. Dedicated in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt, Montezuma Castle gives you an opportunity to travel back in time. But I’m not thrilled with the blurred memory of the experience. Zoom in to see updated info. Entrance to Montezuma Well is FREE! How much time to I need to allow for this site? I am pretty sure we did the self guided tour in an hour or so. It is relatively close to Phoenix, for people that want to stick to a shorter day-trip, and it is on the way to a variety of highly popular Arizona destinations including the Grand Canyon, Sedona, and Flagstaff. Historically, the Southwest has some of the most amazing structures from ancient indigenous people. Don't miss a simulated day in the lives of these Indians behind a glass showcase. more. Montezuma Castle has a nice visitors center that your mom could stay in, and the walk to see the castle is an easily accessible sidewalk that would be pretty easy. All of the large, multi-roomed complexes in the Verde Valley, including Motezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, Tuzigoot, the cliff dwellings around Sedona, and Walnut Canyon near Flagstaff date from about that time. We fly out of Phoenix Sunday evening. Is it a short enough stop that she could wait in the car with the AC? Dogs are allowed on park trails but must remain on a leash no longer than six feet. The path is a short walk and we took pictures. Montezuma Castle National Monument Unknown. We have a long trip that day and I am curious if it will take more than an hour or two. How long did you spend there? Montezuma Well (Yavapai: ʼHakthkyayva), a detached unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument, is a natural limestone sinkhole near the town of Lake Montezuma, Arizona, through which some 1,500,000 US gallons (5,700,000 L; 1,200,000 imp gal) of water emerge each day from an underground spring.It is located about 11 miles (18 km) northeast of Montezuma Castle. NPS: Arizona: December 8, 1906: 1,015.52 acres (4.1 km 2) 390,151 Montezuma Castle features cliff dwellings built by the Pre-Columbian Sinagua people between 1100 and 1400 AD. As said above, I would avoid Montezuma Well as there is very little shade. Most of these sites were continuously inhabited by the Sinagua for approximately three hundred years. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Visit the castle on its own or bundled with other national monuments. Summer days in central Arizona can be extremely hot, with temperatures upwards of 95°F (35°C) and occasionally exceeding 110°F (42°C). It is around 10 minutes from the highway. Around 1100 AD the region began to see an influx of Sinagua from the north. Do we need reservations for Montezuma's Castle / Well. Date. The gift shop/museum is air conditioned- she would enjoy waiting there and exploring the small but interesting museum. We are open seven days a week with the exception of Christmas Day and New Years Day. The dwellings were built and used by the Sinagua people, indigenous people that are related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States, between approximately 1100 AD and 1425 AD. Forced by the time crunch to skip the exhibit on the Southern Sinagua in the visitor center, we dashed back to the car. Depending on how long you spend, you could also drive over to Tuzigoot. Montezuma Castle National Monument stands in a sheer limestone cliff recess about 100 feet above the Verde Valley in Camp Verde, Arizona. It is a very short walk from the visitor center to the ‘castle’ ruin. If you just want to walk to the site and take pictures, You should be able to do it in an hour or less. The park closes at 2:00 pm on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. It gave us a nice break from driving. It is quite short. Inscriptions. It really is a fun spot to check out and it’s really interesting to … Weather at Montezuma Castle National Monument can vary greatly with the time of year. I agree that the trail at Montezuma Well would be too long. In your situation, I would not visit Montezuma Well due to lack of shade but I would highly recommend visiting Montezuma Castle because it is truly incredible and there is shade with benches to view the ruin itself. There is an admission fee and it is interesting to view the museum exhibits before heading out to see the cliffs. over a year ago Get quick answers from Montezuma Castle National Monument staff and past visitors. Near. Map updates are paused. Gelatin silver print Object Format. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Then she could spend about half an hour in the air conditioned visitor center enjoying the very well done historical display while the rest of the group spend more time outside. In fact, it was not. Courtesy of Montezuma's Castle. A second multi-storey castle allowed for about 200 people to live here. However, early settlers to the area, gave it that name because they thought the ruins were from the Conquest of Mexico by the Aztec King. I would highly recommend stopping, it's well worth seeing. If going through the area it is a fun site to see but if I had to choose I would make sure to see montezumas well over the castle. Montezuma II himself was taken as a hostage by the notorious Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortes in 1519. Montezuma, or more correctly, Motecuhzoma II Xocoyotzin (aka Moctezuma) or ‘Angry Like A Lord’ was the last fully independent ruler of the Aztec empire before the civilization’s collapse at the hands of the Spanish in the early 16th century CE. One to two hours is just right--the temperature might make it shorter. I agree. If you just wanted to run in and see the castle you could so in 10 mins quite easily. If passing through, be sure to see it, it's quite a sight. Sedona Arizona. You’d want to get the best pictures. To see the monument you can spend less than 30 minutes here. From late June through early August, monsoons are common in the afternoons. Montezuma's Well is very close and I would recommend going there also. more. Montezuma Castle Entrance Fees (Current fees) Adults (16 and over): $10.00 (good for seven days at both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments) Children (under 16): FREE.