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For over 400 years, the Sinagua people (two Spanish words “sin” and “agua”, which means “without water”) had made this beautiful oasis their home along Beaver Creek. Located high and practically carved into the mountainside, stands a tribute to a people who withstood the test of time and thrived here till their mysterious disappearance around 1380 or 1400. Experts assume it was due to the stress factor from prolonged drought, disease, and nutrient-depleted soil from growing corn. Yet, Native people are very connected to their lands, so for them to leave must have been something very tragic. Montezuma Castle, a pueblo ruin, that consist of 50 rooms with at least 5 levels of floor. It is the best preserved prehistoric dwellings in North America and was granted as one of our first national monuments by the Antiquities Act on December 8, 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt.
It was one of my goals in life to see an actual pueblo ruin and it was almost unreal looking up at it from the ground. I was never so excited in seeing one for the first time. From its discovery in the 1846 by soldiers of the Mexican-American War till about 1951, visitor’s were allowed to climb the ladders to the ruins, those lucky people. Yet, now no one is allowed now to preserve the ruins for other generations to enjoy. It is visited by over 350,000 people a year. Leave a Comment Address: 2800 Montezuma Castle Road, Camp Verde AZ.Phone: (928) 567-3322Directions: Directions: Follow I-17 to exit 289 (90 minutes north of Phoenix, 45 minutes south of Flagstaff). Drive east (through two traffic circles) for approximately 1/2 mile to the blinking red light. Turn left on Montezuma Castle Road.Website: http://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm
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There is a lovely paved path that is about a 1/3 mile loop that takes you through a very lovely sycamore glade and past the ancient cliff dwellings and by Beaver Creek. It was a very tranquil day and we thoroughly enjoyed just taking in the view of the dwellings from different angles. The ruins almost look so unreal and it is still hard to believe they are still among us for us to enjoy.
As you walk along the path, you may notice that there is lots of wonderful flora. Although the ruins only encompass a small area, it supports at least 379 species of plants and 15 plants associations. This is rare since this area only gets about 12 inches of precipitation annually. Leave a Comment Address: 2800 Montezuma Castle Road, Camp Verde AZ.Phone: (928) 567-3322Directions: Directions: Follow I-17 to exit 289 (90 minutes north of Phoenix, 45 minutes south of Flagstaff). Drive east (through two traffic circles) for approximately 1/2 mile to the blinking red light. Turn left on Montezuma Castle Road Website: http://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm
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