haven’t been to Tuzigoot National Monument, you must schedule some time for it while you're here. At Montezuma Castle National Monument you don’t see much rainfall; all through August this area sees the most rain, and the driest month is June.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
has a mass of natural prettiness; it's a location that everybody likes. There are a lot of cool activities to suit everybody. Lake Montezuma is a glorious lake close to Montezuma Castle National Monument; at Montezuma Castle National Monument you always meet someone from Camp Verde.
It's
not a castle and Montezuma was never here. Nestled into a limestone recess high above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley stands one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. The five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling served as a 'high-rise apartment
building' for prehistoric Sinagua Indians over 600 years ago. Early settlers to the area assumed that the imposing structure was associated with the Aztec emperor Montezuma, but the castle was abandoned almost a century before Montezuma was born. With heightened concern
over vandalism of fragile southwestern prehistoric sites, Montezuma Castle became a major factor in the nation's historic preservation movement with its proclamation as a national monument. The Castle was described in the December 1906 establishment proclamation as 'of the greatest
ethnological and scientific interest.' Acreage: 840.86, federal: 16.83, non-federal. CONTACTS Email - MOCA_Administration@nps.gov Fax- 928-567-3597 Write to
2800 Montezuma Castle Road
Camp
Verde, AZ 86322 - or -
P.O. Box 219
Camp Verde, AZ 86322 Phone
Visitor Information - 928-567-3322
Headquarters - 928-567-5276
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating Hours, Seasons
Open every day of the year, including
Christmas day. Winter hours: 8 AM to 5 PM; Summer hours: 8 AM to 7 PM. Getting There
PLANE - Nearest commercial airports are locted in Flagstaff (50 miles), Prescott (55 miles), and Phoenix (100 miles) CAR - Montezuma Castle is located 3 miles off Interstate
17. Use Exit Number 289 and follow signs. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - Tours are available from Flagstaff and some surrounding communities. Weather & Climate
Summers generally hot and dry, with mild winters. Accessibility
The visitor center and most
of the paved trail are accessible to wheelchairs. A portion of the Castle trail is too steep for wheelchairs and is marked with a sign. The picnic area is not accessible to wheelchairs. Please contact a ranger for more information. Audio cassettes and braille text are avaialble
for the visually impaired. Getting Around
The monument visitor center contains exhibits and information regarding your visit. The 1/3 mile Castle trail will take the visitor on a leisurely walk to view Montezuma Castle and other prehistoric dwellings. FEES/PERMITS
Entrance
Fee
ENTRANCE FEE PER PERSON
$3.00 for 7 Days
INDIVIDUAL
$3.00 for 7 Days
FACILITIES
Visitor Centers
MONTEZUMA CASTLE VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Phone - 928-567-3322
Location - Visitor
Center located 1 mile from entrance gate.
Exhibits - Exhibits depicting the life style of the Sinaguan Indians
Available Facilities - Southwest Parks and Monuments Association Book Store, restrooms, and picnic area
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