MONTEZUMA CASTLE NATIONAL MONUMENT Camp Verde, Arizona

Expedition Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: 1987

The Monument protects a set of well preserved dwellings which were built and used by the Sinagua people built between 1100 and 1425AD.  The name given the dwellings has no connection with the Aztecs.  We walked a half mile trail and suddenly there was the cliff dwelling about 90 feet up the sheer sandstone cliff.  It is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America because it is perched in a natural alcove and protected from the weather.  It overlooks Beaver Creek which drains into the Verde River. The dwellings were made of mud, clay and limestone and accessible back then via a series of ladders. Patrons are not allowed to climb ladders and enter the structures, but it is still an incredible sight to see.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *