I spent the past week traveling around Arizona with the family. Recently, a family member mentioned Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well (hours of operation) as must-see sites on our visit. The weather looked perfect in Camp Verde for our first day, so we made the trip down.
The chill dropped from the air as we descended partway down the mountain from our vacation “home-base” in Flagstaff. We wore winter coats on the way to Camp Verde but ended up wearing t-shirts for sightseeing and hiking. Not bad for mid-February.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Montezuma Castle National Monument, part of the United States National Park system, makes a great pitstop for the annual park pass holder. During our trip, we followed an intern park ranger on a tour discussing the known history and theories behind this well-preserved Native America ruins.
The National Park Service built a walkway alongside the 20-room structure sitting 100 feet high into the cliffside. The misnomered Montezuma Castle, neither Aztec nor royalty, once held Sinaguan farmers who built the elaborate dwellings.
Besides the main structure, another striking aspect of this national monument is the conspicuous plant life. The very distinct Arizona Sycamore lined the pathway. At first glance, I wondered why the trees appeared to have no bark. We come to find out that the Arizona Sycamore sheds its bark naturally. I should note that the Sinaguan farmers used these Sycamores as the main beams when building the “castle.”
Montezuma Well National Monument
Then, we took a short ride to our next destination to a detached location of the national monument park, Montezuma Well, a sinkhole with 74-degree water constantly bubbling from below. The Sinaguan people once lived in dwellings built into the cliffs. Walking along the rim, I viewed the remnants of these homes visible from the top. As I hiked to the water’s edge, I entered a serene setting. From there, I saw up close into an ancient cave home.
After hiking around a bit, we headed back to Flagstaff to eat steaks and relax. The next morning we would be off to Monument Valley, update coming tomorrow!
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