Frequently Asked Questions

Visitation Questions

Can we go into the dwellings?

No. Even though they might not look like it, Montezuma Castle and the other dwellings are fragile and very sensitive to human activity. Due to numerous safety hazards, it is also unsafe to allow visitors into the Castle. The Swallet Cave at Montezuma Well is also home to bats which are sensitive to human disturbance and susceptible to white-nose syndrome, a disease that kills most of the bats it infects. Tours into Montezuma Castle were discontinued in 1951. Visitors were allowed into part of Castle A until 1978. Please stay on the marked trails and do not climb walls. Please observe all trail closures.

Montezuma Castle and Castle A can be viewed from the 0.3 mile loop trail. The dwellings at Montezuma Well can be viewed from the overlook, Swallet Trail, and 0.3 mile loop trail. A four minute long 3D video tour of the inside of the Castle can be viewed at the visitor center and plays on loop. Photos of the inside of the dwellings can be viewed in the "A Tour of Montezuma Castle" album in our Photo Gallery.

How long does it take to visit Montezuma Castle? What about Montezuma Well?

Most people spend about 30 minutes at Montezuma Castle. Most people spend about 45 minutes at Montezuma Well, which includes hiking the entire Well loop trail. It takes about 20 minutes to drive from Montezuma Castle to Montezuma Well.

Should we be worried about rattlesnakes at the park?

There are two species of rattlesnake that are often found in the park during the warm months, the Western diamondback and black-tailed rattlesnake. While it is common to see them when visiting during the summer, like other wildlife, these snakes just want to be left alone and will typically rattle their tails loudly in warning if you are too close. If you see a rattlesnake during your visit, please let a staff member know. Trained staff members relocate snakes away from trails and parking areas. Always stay on trails, keep an eye on your pets, never put your hands or feet where you can't see, and give snakes a minimum of six feet (1.8 m) of space.

 

Archeology Questions

Who lived here and who built these dwellings?

Archeologists call the people who lived at Montezuma Castle, Tuzigoot National Monument, and Montezuma Well the Sinagua. The Hopi people call them the Hisatsinom, or "ancient ones." These people were relatives of the Ancestral Puebloans. You will most often see them referred to as the Sinagua at the national park sites in the Verde Valley.

Other peoples that lived in the area at the time these dwellings were occupied were the Hohokam, Yavapai, and Apache. Many indigenous people still maintain a strong connection with this place today and the park service collaborates with several associated tribes for a variety of projects and events. The dwellings here are remembered and honored, not forgotten and abandoned. These sites remain places where people come to connect with their heritage.

What does Sinagua mean? Why are they called the Sinagua people?

The name "Sinagua" comes from the two Spanish words "sin" and "agua", and means "without water." This refers to the name given to the San Francisco Peaks by the Spanish in the late 1500s, the Sierra Sin Agua, or "mountains without water." The first people called the Sinagua by archeologists were those that lived and farmed in the Flagstaff area (Northern Sinagua), but when archeologists began studying the culture that lived here in the Verde Valley, they learned that the people here were also members of a very similar culture (Southern Sinagua). We do not know what these people called themselves.

How old is Montezuma Castle and how long did people live here?

Construction began on Montezuma Castle around 1100 CE. The Sinagua occupied the Verde Valley until about the late 1300s to early 1400s, although people lived in this area long before the cliff dwellings at Montezuma Castle National Monument were built.

Why did these people choose to build up so high?

Probably for multiple reasons. Pueblos and cliff dwellings were usually built very close to a source of water like Beaver Creek. Rivers and creeks flood during the summer monsoon which can cause water levels to rise by a few feet. Building in cliffs or on hilltops kept homes above dangerous flood waters while allowing people to live close to the water. Dwellings built high up would also be able to see and communicate with neighboring villages. It's also likely that the structure and location of these buildings helped prevent unwanted wildlife like rodents from getting into food supplies and other resources.

How many people lived here?

The community that included Montezuma Castle was home to about 150-200 people at maximum capacity, which included the Castle, Castle A, the other cliff dwellings, and pit houses.

The dwellings at Montezuma Well were reused by other peoples and some of the buildings were partially reconstructed in the 1900s, so it is difficult to estimate the population size. It's possible that the community at the Well was similar in size to the one located at Montezuma Castle.

How many people lived in Montezuma Castle?

Montezuma Castle had enough room for about 35 people. At most, three families could have occupied this building.

Who lived in Montezuma Castle?

It's difficult to say. It's unknown if spiritual or religious leaders lived in dwellings located higher on the cliff with their families or not. By the time the site was surveyed and studied in the 1930s, Montezuma Castle had been heavily looted so there was very little evidence to study there.

Is Montezuma Castle reconstructed?

Although some damage from natural breakdown and early visitors to the site occurred, most of what we see of Montezuma Castle is original. This includes the timbers, or vigas, sticking out to the right of the central tower. Part of this is due to natural protection by the cave it sits in. There are a few places where visitors can see areas where stabilization and repairs have taken place, such as along the top wall on the fifth floor.

Why did these people leave?

We still do not know exactly why the Sinagua left the Verde Valley. Although the most likely reason was because of competition for resources, they could also have left for spiritual or religious reasons, collapse of trade routes, conflict with other people, or changes to the local climate. The dwellings here were never meant to be a permanent dwelling, rather a multi-generational stop on part of a larger journey according to Hopi traditional knowledge.

How did people get into the dwellings?

People used a series of ladders to access the buildings and to travel between different floors inside.

Why is it called Montezuma Castle?

When the Spanish traveled through this area in the late 1500s, they saw the empty dwellings of the Verde Valley and assumed the Aztecs had built them. In the 1860s, European Americans named the dwelling here after the Aztec emperor Montezuma. Neither Montezuma nor the Aztecs have any connection to these sites or the Sinagua.

Who is Montezuma?

Montezuma, or Moctezuma II, was the emperor of the Aztecs from 1502 to 1520. He was born after the Sinagua left the Verde Valley. There is no evidence that Montezuma or the Aztec people ever visited the Verde Valley.

 

Biology Questions

What are the trees with the white bark?

Arizona sycamore trees have mottled, white to pale green bark and are found along Beaver Creek and the Verde River. Although the bark flakes off naturally, please do not pick bark off of the trees.

What are the huge, white flowers?

Sacred datura, also called angel's trumpet, thornapple, or jimsonweed, is a native plant in the nightshade family that produces white flowers more than 10 cm in diameter and 15 cm long from spring through fall. Individual flowers only bloom for one day. All parts of this plant are highly toxic to both humans and pets and touching the plant may cause a rash for some people. Do not handle any part of this plant.