Montezuma Castle National Monument, along with the detached unit of Montezuma Well, are about five miles from Camp Verde, Arizona. And, they are well worth a visit if you are interested in photographing ancient architecture.
Montezuma Castle
The main cliff dwelling contains twenty room and is five stories high in places. Built within a limestone alcove seventy feet off the valley floor, it was highly defensible.
Its pristine condition is a result, in part, of its favorable location. But also, because it is a National Monument, it is continually monitored and protected.
Montezuma Well
Five miles north of the Montezuma Castle is Montezuma Well. It is a natural sinkhole through which 1,500,000 US gallons of water emerge each day from an underground spring. In addition to cliff dwellings in the northwest wall, there are pueblo ruins and an ancient pithouse.
More information about Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well
- The Sinagua People of Montezuma Castle : http://www.mesacc.edu/~thoqh49081/StudentPapers/sinagua.html
- National Park Service history of the National Monument: https://www.nps.gov/moca/learn/historyculture/index.htm
- History Channel information on the National Monument: https://www.history.com/topics/landmarks/montezuma-castle
- This links goes to the Montezuma Well portion of Jesse Fewkes’ monograph, ARCHEOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO ARIZONA IN 1895, republished by Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23691/23691-h/23691-h.htm#Page_546
Other sites in the Verde Valley
Montezuma Castle National Monument is one of four sites around Sedona that should be on every photographers itinerary. The other three sites are:
Purchasing our photographs
All of our scenic photographs are available as fine art prints. Use the contact form to the right to get more information. Or, go to our Fine Art Print page to learn about various pricing options.
