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When we visited Montezuma Castle in Arizona, we were blown away with how well preserved this heritage site is. The fact that Montezuma Castle is literally built into a cliff helped the preservation tremendously.
We’ve seen literally hundreds of castles all over Scotland and Europe, but can honestly say this one was so unique and well worth the somewhat out of the way visit.
When researching online about Montezuma Castle, we found there wasn’t actually much written about people’s personal experience at Montezuma Castle. Sure, there’s a lot of history of the castle online, but we wanted to know what it was like to visit the castle itself.
Since we didn’t find any of that information online, we decided to document our visit to Montezuma Castle so we could share our first hand experience with you.
Quick Info On Montezuma Castle
- Parking | Limited parking that fills up fast in the busy times of year. You can park further away along the roadside though.
- Accessibility | The entire area is paved and fully accessible.
- Cost | $10 or free with National Park Pass
- Coordinates | 34.613187, -111.836616
- Nearby Things To Do | In this Sedona travel guide, you’ll find more things to do nearby and other heritage sites to explore too.
Interested in a guided tour to Montezuma Castle? These tours take visitors to not just this castle, but other heritage sites in the area.
Our Time At Montezuma Castle in Arizona
We’ve been to Montezuma Castle National Monument twice now. The first time we visited was to actually go into the national monument and learn about the castle. The second time was to get a National Park Pass so we could park for free in Sedona.
It was actually super interesting going two different times because the experiences were completely different.
Visiting In March
When we went to Montezuma Castle in March, we were so happy to only be going there for purchasing the pass. As this time of year the parking lot was full with people circling for spots, there was a long line out the door for entry, and so many people visiting, it would have been super overwhelming.
With that said, if March is the time you’re in Arizona to visit Montezuma Castle, it’s still worth the busy visit!
Visiting in Winter
Our first time to Montezuma Castle was in January and we found it to be a great time to visit. There weren’t many people in the area, the parking lot was pretty empty, and while the bathrooms were shut down, the visitor center was still open.
The weather in January was also really nice with not too hot temperatures. Other times of the year, the temperatures at Montezuma Castle in Arizona can be extreme. However, there’s a lot of shade from the trees, so that’s a big bonus!
Trail Information for Montezuma Castle AZ
- Terrain | all paved and relatively flat
- Distance | 150 yards or so from entrance
The “trail” to get to Montezuma Castle is a fully accessible trail, that’s paved and mostly flat. There’s a small decline leaving the visitor center towards the castle, but it’s hardly noticable.
It wasn’t always this way though. After being declared a national monument, the first visitors to Montezuma Castle had to climb down the limestone cliff via a ladder to access the castle!
While the ladder entrance would have been awesome, we were happy to find the (newer) trail is super wide with lots of benches and shade, and has multiple different informational boards pointing out interesting bits along the way.
Walking along the path, we loved that we could take it at our own pace, reading signs as we wished, and if there were too many people at one sign, it was easy to loop through and read it at a different time.
What’s There To See At Montezuma Castle National Monument
- Preserved cliff dwellings
- Montezuma Castle
- Native Plants
- Archeological Findings
When we visited Montezuma Castle, we really had no idea what there was to see and do there. Again, the information we found online about the castle was super vague.
We were happy to find there’s not just the castle to see, but a castle built into a limestone cliff. There are multiple other little cliff dwellings around, and lots of native plants to learn about as well.
While Montezuma Castle isn’t really a full day adventure, it’s a great stop on the way to Sedona.
Interesting Tidbits About Montezuma Castle
Handprints In The Plastering
It’s believed that women and children did the plastering for the castle and other dwellings in this area. Archeologists believe this to be true because there are still handprints left in the plastering of the walls!
It’s Been Around For Centuries
The castle and surrounding cliff dwellings are believe to have been made in the 1100s. Although, they have not been occupied since the 1400s, the castle still remains in great shape thanks to it being build into a natural cliff covering and the declaration of the Montezuma Castle National Monument in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt.
Interestingly enough, Arizona’s Montezuma Castle was the third place declared a national monument.
Made To Be Recycled Back Into Earth
Hopi and other Natives say that buildings like Montezuma Castle and the surrounding cliff dwellings were made to be able to recycle back into earth once people stop taking care of them.
I love this concept. To use what the earth is naturally producing as building materials, so that there is less or even zero waste when you’re doing with the building.
It’s interesting to see this in action at Montezuma Castle, and truly left me inspired to use more natural things in our future van builds.
Other National Parks & Monuments in Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park | Due to unfortunate events of break downs and tire replacements, we only got one day in Grand Canyon National Park, but boy was it pretty!
Saguaro National Park | Our first time to Saguaro National Park was with friends over a decade ago, but we hope to make it back in early 2025.
Tuzigoot National Monument | Another national monument in the area that provides a look into the Sinagua people and Native American culture. There’s also an incredible museum at Tuzigoot with so many artifacts from the Sinagua people.
Montezuma Well National Monument | With the same name as Montezuma Castle, you’d think it would be right next door, but it’s a bit of a drive away. Montezuma Well is a natural spring with cliff dwellings and an great look at the Sinagua ingenuity.
Sedona | Sedona should be a national park or monument, but it’s not.. which I guess is a good thing with all the epic mountain biking in the area!
