Montezuma Castle National Monument protects a set of well-preserved Native American dwellings located in Camp Verde, Arizona. They were inhabited by the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture closely related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States, between approximately 1100 and 1425.

It is astounding that at some point in history, settlers experienced the awe of the Red Cliffs as they traversed the hillsides and came upon the secret, majestic precipices. Native Americans thrived among the sacred splendor of Sedona, Walnut Creek, Montezuma’s Well, Second Mesa and Oak Creek Canyon for tens of generations.

Many of these cliff dwellings are scattered throughout the area. The ones that have been discovered were established around fresh water. That’s an astounding revelation in the arid deserts of Arizona!