October 16, 2009
Interim Guidelines for Expanded Public Access and Use in Tavasci Marsh
(Clarkdale, AZ, Oct. 16, 2009) – The National Park Service will be allowing additional public access to Tavasci Marsh areas before the release of the Tavasci Marsh Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment.  Prior to today, per 36 CFR §1.5 and the Superintendent’s Compendium, visiting hours for public use of Tavasci Marsh were limited to the posted hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the period of Labor Day through Memorial Day, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the period of Memorial Day to Labor Day). 

September 28, 2009
Moonlight Evening at Montezuma Well
Come enjoy a special and unique opportunity at Montezuma Well. On Sunday, October 4^th, the Montezuma Well unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument will stay open after normal operating hours until 9pm. The reason for staying open late will be the rising of a nearly full moon at 6:10pm. As the moon rises and the darkness of the night takes over the Well, the glow of lanterns placed in some of the prehistoric sites will, with a little imagination, bring out what the area may have been like 800 years ago. David Wolfsrobe and his flutes will add to the ambience, and overall, should make for an evening to remember. These special night programs at the monuments only occur a few times, so come out and see the monuments in a very different light

September 25, 2009
Montezuma Castle National Monument & National Park Foundation Launch 2009-2010 First Bloom Program
(Rimrock, AZ) – Montezuma Castle National Monument will host a kick-off event for its First Bloom program as part of the national celebration of the parks Saturday, October 3rd. First Bloom is a National Park Foundation program that connects kids between 4th and 6th grades to nature and national parks. There are 26 parks from across the country participating in First Bloom, which will run from September 2009 through June 2010. The Central Arizona Boys and Girls Club and the Yavapai-Apache Nation are partners in this First Bloom project with the park.

September 16, 2009
Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments to Waive Entrance Fee on National Public Lands Day
(Washington, D.C.) – All National Park Service sites, including Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments in Camp Verde and Clarkdale, will offer free visitor admission on September 26 for National Public Lands Day.

July 16, 2009
Tuzigoot National Monument Celebrates its 70th BirthdayAn open house commemorating two historic events at Tuzigoot National Monument will be held Saturday, June 25, from 10 a.m. to noon, in the historic Visitor Center near Clarkdale. Seventy years ago, on July 25, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the proclamation designating Tuzigoot as a national monument and five years earlier, the dust had just settled on the Civil Works Administration excavation project, completed the end of June, 1934.

July 1, 2009
Zuni Craftsman to talk at Montezuma Castle NM on Recognizing Authentic Indian Arts and CraftsOn July 19, 2009, from 10:15 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tony Eriacho, Jr., of the Zuni Tribe, will offer a hands-on presentation, “Which is Authentic Indian Handmade?” at Montezuma Castle National Monument.

July 1, 2009
Summer Junior Ranger Camps to be held at Montezuma Well This summer, Montezuma Castle National Monument will be holding three Summer Junior Ranger Camps at Montezuma Well in Rimrock, AZ. Join a National Park Ranger for an exciting three-day learning experience at the Montezuma Well unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument. Junior Rangers will learn about the prehistoric Sinagua culture, geology, archaeology, and preservation through hiking, discussions, and hands-on activities. These day camps will be held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, July 14-16, July 21-23, and July 28-30. The first two camps will be for kids age 8-11, while the camp on July 28-30 will be for kids 12-15. Camps will take place from 7:30am to 12:30pm. All three camps are free.

June 27, 2009
Cultural Demonstration on tap at Montezuma Castle National MonumentCraftspeople and cultural specialists from the Paipai and Kiliwa tribes of northern Baja California will demonstrate traditional arts and crafts at Montezuma Castle National Monument, Camp Verde, AZ, on Saturday, June 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

June 9, 2009
Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments to Offer Fee-Free Weekends in June, July and August.Camp Verde, Ariz. – On the weekends of June 20 – 21 (Father’s Day weekend), July 18 – 19, and August 15 – 16, 2009, Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments and the 146 other National Park Service (NPS) sites around the country that charge entrance fees will offer fee-free entry into the parks. The fee-free weekends were announced by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Tuesday, June 2, and are intended to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit their national treasures. According to Secretary Salazar, “During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families.”

May 28, 2009
Night Programs on tap for Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments
Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments are pleased to announce several special events for the month of June. All these events and activities are in conjunction with the Festival of Native American Culture, a weeklong celebration sponsored by the Verde Valley Chapter of the Arizona Archeological Society “to preserve and protect the native American cultural heritage of Sedona and the Verde Valley”.

April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 25 is National Junior Ranger Day at the National Monuments of the Verde Valley.Saturday, April 25, is National Junior Ranger Day at National Park units across the country. In celebration, the National Monuments of the Verde Valley—Montezuma Castle, which includes Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot—have created very special Junior Ranger Scavenger Hunt activities for anyone that feels young enough to explore.

April 8, 2009
Controlled Burn Scheduled at Tuzigoot National MonumentOn Tuesday, April 14, 2009, the National Park Service plans to burn 39 woody debris piles at Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale, AZ. This debris was created in March of 2007, during invasive tree removal projects within the Monument along the Verde River and in Tavasci Marsh.