The park consisted of a short loop with paved walking trail that started from the Visitor’s Center. It is considered one of the best preserved sites from this era. Most of the dwellings were actualy still in their original parts. This was one of the first national monuments in the country in 1906. President Theodore Roosevelt preserved this area. It was ultimately closed for visiting and now only open to personnel for inspection and maintenance. There was also damage from visitors walking around here through the years. Unfortunately, the structure was heavily looted and not much was left during the early 1900s. Though, visitors could not get close to the dwellings. While not as large as Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, this was still impressive. My kids were a little disappointed there was no semblance of a castle here but were still impressed with this cliff dwelling. They named this cliff dwelling after the Aztec emperor Motecuhzoma II who actually lived long after this structure was built. Some of the early European American settlers named many southwest sites based on their interests in the Aztec, Maya and Inca civilizations. As you can see, it was clearly not a castle.
Well, the Montezuma castle name was actually a misnomer. It had over 20 rooms and was used as a home, storage unit and spiritual site much like other rock shelters in cliffs around this area. Montezuma Castle was constructed 100 feet (161 km) or five stories high above the valley in a sandstone cliff recess. The centerpiece of the park was built over 700 years ago. See what this small park has to offer visitors and some tips for visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument with Kids. You wouldn’t expect to see a castle in the middle of red rock country in Arizona! Located 50 miles south of Flagstaff and 26 miles from Sedona, Montezuma Castle was quite a surprise.
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