Visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument
Continuing the story of the Sinagua people in the Verde Valley, we visited Montezuma Castle National Monument . This place is incredible. Montezuma Castle is not a castle at all. It’s a five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling built into a limestone cliff 800 years ago. It looks like something out of a fantasy novel, but it was once home to real families who farmed, hunted, and lived in harmony with the land.
“Why is it named Montezuma Castle?”, you may ask. When European-Americans first observed the long-abandoned ruins in the 1860s, they named them for the famous Aztec emperor Montezuma in the mistaken belief that he had been connected to the dwelling’s construction.
Even though we now know that these ruins are not connected to the Aztec people, there is much we know daily life here because of significant looting of the site prior to it being designated a National Monument in 1906. The structure is amazingly well-preserved and the short, shady trail made for an easy and peaceful afternoon.
Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.
