case you don’t mind getting wet, you can always go whitewater paddling on Verde River, and a splendid nearby hotel is Camp Verde Super 8 Motel. Get soaked paddling on Verde River, and dry warm beds await you at Comfort Inn Camp Verde. Montezuma Castle National Monument is a common
place to spend time for folks 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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