The interior of Montezuma Castle in Arizona is off-limits to all except National Park staff. But here’s why the Montezuma Castle National Monument is worth visiting anyway.
What is Montezuma Castle National Monument?
Montezuma Castle is one of the oldest national monuments in the US and one of the most intriguing historic sites in Arizona.
The 20 room, five-storey dwelling was built with mud and rock into a cliff face in the Verde Valley. Construction took place in stages from the 1130s until the people that built it – now called the Sinagua – abruptly left in around 1425. The Sinagua people essentially disappeared after this, most likely being absorbed by other Native American groups.
Where is Montezuma Castle National Monument?
Montezuma Castle is in central Arizona, around one-and-a-half hour’s drive north of Phoenix and about 35 minutes to the south of Sedona. It’s technically in the town of Camp Verde. To get there, you’ll need your own vehicle, or to take a tour. Several tours from Phoenix and Sedona include Montezuma Castle within the itinerary.
Is it possible to go inside Montezuma Castle?
It is not possible for visitors to go inside Montezuma Castle. This is partly because the ladders than the Sinagua used to reach the housing complex are long gone. But it’s mainly because people in the past have gone inside and looted Montezuma Castle. The National Park Service, which manages the site, wants to preserve it.
Why visit Montezuma Castle?
If you can’t go inside it, why visit Montezuma Castle? Well, in truth, the interior was never the impressive part. Seeing it built high into the cliff is where the wow factor comes from.
The sense of mystery is also highly seductive. This is a community that built something remarkable, thrived and then disappeared before Europeans arrived in North America. The Sinagua left no written trace of themselves. Everything we know about them is pieced together. Both the signs along the short walking trail and the museum inside the Visitor Center do a good job of exploring this.
- For more tours from Phoenix, investigate here.
- For more tours from Sedona, look here.
More Arizona travel
- For more things to do in Arizona, head here.
Other articles about Arizona on Planet Whitley include:
- Driving across London Bridge in… Lake Havasu City.
- Should I do a Grand Canyon day tour from Sedona?
- The best route from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon.
- Red Rock Crossing in Sedona – nature’s greatest swimming pool?
- Where to see bears in Arizona.
- How to drive Hermit Road at the Grand Canyon without taking the shuttle bus.
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