Montezuma Castle National Monument Travel Page by Camping_Girl

This hillside "castle" was once inhabited by a group of native americans, about 1000 years ago. No one is really sure what happened to the people who once called this place home. All the experts know for sure is that its inhabitants completely disappeared, sometime around 1100 A.D.

The inhabitants built their home up in the cliff so that they could be protected from intruders. They accessed their homes through a series of ladders, which they could lift up into the structure in the event of a security threat.

I found this place absolutely fascinating. The mud that was used to build the outer walls of the castle had to be hauled up to the cave, one basket load at a time. It is believed that several hundred people once called this place home.

It is located a short distance south of Sedona, just off the #17 highway that runs from Phoenix to Flagstaff.

There were several levels of dwellings carved out inside this cliff.

There were also some buildings at ground level, once upon a time. All that remains of these buildings now is parts of the foundation.