Introduction
On a recent weekend trip I discovered there was a National Monument within shouting distance of the Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde, Arizona. As someone who has recently transplanted his entire well-being to Arizona, I had to give it a go... one to check out the casino and two, to explore the area.
Montezuma Castle National Monument is located about 90 minutes north of the Phoenix Metro area. It is minutes off the I-17 highway. Simply follow the signs at the exit and you'll be there shortly. The road was entirely paved as well.
The area is a national park, so admission was $10 a person for us - expect the usual discounts if you are a senior / veteran. We expected a bit of a hike, but in reality once you are in the door, you can pretty much see everything within a quarter mile paved walk. Most of it is handicap accessible (with the exception of a very small subsection).
The castle, which people estimate was built over a 1000 years ago, is off-limits There are placards which will explain the history of the area and what you are seeing, but there is no hands-on exploring here.
All told, I think we were there for about 30 minutes. It is heavily shaded so it is ideal for a hot day. They have bathroom and drinking fountain facilities as well. Well worth a visit and you'll be left wondering what it was like for Native Americans to live off the land while have access to the "castle".
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