Montezuma National Monument and Montezuma Well

Montezuma National Monument is one of our Nation’s first National Monuments declared by Theodore Roosevelt on December 8, 1906, with the passage of the Antiquities Act. Early visitors drove to see the ruins and were even able to climb ladders to view inside the dwellings.

Today’s adventures kept us close to our vacation spot in Cornville/Cottonwood area. Located in Camp Verde, Arizona we explored Montezuma National Monument and Montezuma Well. I happened to invest in a National Park season pass a few months ago, knowing I would be traveling the country and visiting numerous parks. It has already paid for itself. With that, the National Monument was included (it would be $10 per person otherwise). The Montezuma Well is already free to any visitors.

We thoroughly enjoyed both sites. It is fascinating to envision how the “Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture closely related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States” once dwelled in these cliffs. They made their homes in these bluffs between 1100 and 1425 AD according to Montezuma_Castle_National_Monument.

Montezuma National Monument

Montezuma National Monument

Montezuma Well