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On a recent weekend trip to Camp Verde, Arizona, I took a couple hours to visit Montezuma's Castle with my dad. The "castle" sits above the flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley and is one of the best preserved and most easily accessible cliff ruins in North America. It is erroneously named for the 16th century Aztec ruler.
This 5-story, 20-room cliff dwelling served as a "high-rise apartment building" for prehistoric Sinagua Indians more than 600 years ago. They accessed the dwelling using ladders which were also used to climb the 5 levels.
Through this window (the one on the far left of the castle above ) you can see a ladder probably left from earlier days when visitors were given guided tours through the ruins. Due to concerns over public safety and the wear and tear on the ruins, the castle was closed to tours in October 1951. A close up through the window is to the right.
Starting in the late 1300’s, the Sinagua began gradually moving out of the Verde Valley, joining other large, established communities to the east and northeast. There could have been many stresses: drought, disease, conflict or not enough fertile soil to support a large population. The name Sinagua comes from the Spanish, "without water."
For more information visit one of these links.
National Park Service information on Montezuma's Castle
The American Southwest: Montezuma Castle National Monument
100 Years of Preservation and Stewardship: Montezuma Castle National Monument Centennial: 1906-2006
