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Montezuma Castle National Monument
National Park Service
photo by Richard Frear |
Montezuma Castle was built by prehistoric Sinagua Indians in the early
1100s and received its name from Anglo-American settlers who believed,
mistakenly, that it had been built by Aztec Indians. Situated in a cliff
recess 100 feet above the Verde valley, Montezuma Castle is a five-story
pueblo with 20 rooms similar in style to the many Anasazi dwellings found
throughout the Southwest. Nearby is Castle A, a 45-room pueblo built at
the base of the cliff. Montezuma Well, just north of the pueblos, is a
large limestone sink that was used as a source of water for irrigation
by the pueblo inhabitants. In the early 1400s the valley was vacated for
unknown reasons.
Montezuma Castle National Monument, administered by the National
Park Service, is north of Camp Verde, Arizona, off I-17. A self-guided
tour is available. A Visitors Center and museum are open daily from
8:00am to 7:00pm during the summer and 8:00am to 5:00pm during the rest
of the year. Please call 928-567-3322, or visit the park's website
for further information.
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