Montezuma Castle National Monument, Arizona
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
Everything the RV Renter Needs to Know
The prehistoric peoples who called the Verde Valley home knew how to survive in a punishing desert environment—and some of them did it in real style. High in the cliffs overlooking the Arizona desert, Montezuma Castle National Monument is a 20-room apartment in the sky. Today, more than 800 years since it was built, it draws visitors from all over as one of the best-preserved examples of Sinagua cliff dwellings anywhere in the country. If you’re planning to scratch a visit to Montezuma Castle off your bucket list, there’s no better way to do it than with a rented RV. This guide will tell you everything you need to know to make the most of your visit and enjoy the world-class RV resorts in the Camp Verde area.
Montezuma Castle was one of four sites initially designated as National Monuments by Teddy Roosevelt following the passing of the Antiquities Act. This meant the towering cliff dwelling would be preserved for generations to come to enjoy and marvel at the long-lost culture of the Sinagua people—today, that means you and your family! Though public access to the dwelling itself has long since been closed off, visitors today love to peer in through the castle’s windows to imagine what life might have been like for the people who once called it home.
More than 350,000 people come each year to tour the ruins and experience them for themselves. Regularly scheduled ranger tours help to provide some historical context and offer families an exciting and unique learning opportunity. For more info on ranger programs, visit the Things to Do portion of the National Park Service’s website for Montezuma Castle.
The visitor center at Montezuma Castle National Monument offers some great programming for kids to capture their imaginations and encourage exploration, learning and fun. Don’t forget to swing by the center before heading out into the park to learn more about the park itself, and also for a chance to engage in Junior Ranger programs designed for children up to 14 years of age.
Of particular note is the Junior Ranger Workbook, which gives kids assignments (don’t worry—they’ll love them!) to complete during their visit to Montezuma Castle. At the end of your adventure in the park, kids can bring their completed workbooks back to the visitor center to take the Junior Ranger Pledge and earn a prestigious badge that recognizes them as official Junior Rangers of both Montezuma Castle National Monument and Tuzigoot National Monument. Learn more about children’s programming here.
Montezuma Castle National Monument covers 826 acres of Arizona desert, and that includes other special places just a short drive from the main attraction, like Montezuma Well, located 11 miles from the park’s visitor center. Montezuma Well offered Sinagua peoples a steady supply of warm, fresh water with its daily flow of more than 1.5 million gallons. That flow remains the same today, and the water has created a true oasis in the desert. The surrounding area has become a verdant and lush forest, with temperatures as much as 20 degrees cooler inside than in the surrounding desert area.
With the water and shade available, it’s no wonder the Sinaguans settled the area extensively. Today, Montezuma Well is well worth exploring to see the many cliff dwellings built into the rim of the well’s basin, looking down into the oasis like high-rise apartments. Inside the basin itself there are large pueblo ruins and an ancient pit house that remain as testaments to the will of the Sinaguan people.
Outside of the ruins at Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well, Montezuma Castle National Monument is an absolutely beautiful slice of Arizona desert. Visitors who choose to hike around the park will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the Black Hills, the red rocks of Sedona, the limestone hills of the Verde River Valley, and the white caps of Mogollon Rim. And while those geological structures get much of the glory, part of what attracted Sinaguan people to this area in the first place was the water that allowed plants and desert animals to thrive.
Also of note is the amazing stargazing opportunities at Montezuma Castle National Monument and the surrounding areas. Though Camp Verde is a modern community and the lights of Sedona aren’t far away, the remote location of the National Monument offers unobstructed, clear views of the night sky in all its glory. On a clear night, expect a show of stars, meteors, swirling Milky Way ribbons, and planets like nowhere else.
Just a few miles away from Montezuma Castle National Monument is another historic landmark that’s a can’t-miss on your trip—Tuzigoot National Monument. If Montezuma Castle is an apartment, Tuzigoot is an entire complex, memorialized by the sprawling pueblo structure sitting atop a tall hill. The structure contained 110 rooms, including some buildings that rose two or even three structures above the landscape, like the still-standing citadel that marks the highest point in the village today.
Tuzigoot spans 42 acres and is also included in the Junior Ranger Workbook kids receive from the Montezuma Castle visitor center. A self-guided tour of the grounds is a great way to complete your family’s exploration of Sinaguan culture as it looked between 1000 and 1400 A.D., during which time the agricultural people called the Verde River Valley home.
The first of two 10/10/10 perfect score RV resorts on this list is the brand-new Verde Ranch RV Resort right in Camp Verde, Arizona. The fantastic lodge fits right into the desert setting and features a heated pool with firepits and seating areas just outside. Other amenities include hot tubs, recreation in the nearby river, a fitness center, pickleball courts, and a dog park.
Another perfect score winner is Distant Drums RV Resort, also in Camp Verde, Arizona. Come for the great full hookup RV sites and stay for amenities like cable TV, heated pool and hot tub, fitness center, and even a free shuttle to the nearby Cliff Castle Casino. There’s also free Wi-Fi throughout the park, making Distant Drums the pinnacle of RV camping comfort.
Verde River RV Resort & Cottages is another fantastic RV park in Camp Verde. Conveniently located just off I-17, Verde River offers 160 spacious RV sites, a pool, spa, fitness center, private bath suites, and more than 1,400 feet of Verde River front access. Don’t sleep on this cozy, family friendly RV resort.
The final Camp Verde, Arizona RV park to make the list, Zane Grey RV Village, is a quiet and remote escape. Geared towards adults (sorry, no kids here!), Zane Grey is ideal for older families or couples looking to explore Montezuma Castle and the wineries, art galleries, and restaurants of nearby Sedona.
Just down the Verde River in nearby Cottonwood, Arizona, Verde Valley RV & Camping Resort offers excellent RV parking with their spacious, full hookup RV sites. Enjoy kayaking on the river plus a turquoise swimming pool surrounded by the red rock landscape. Guests here also love the close access to Alcantara Vineyards nearby for wine tastings.
Southwestern cuisine is the main event in Arizona, and you’ll have several options to choose from in Camp Verde if that’s what you’re craving. La Casita is a great local favorite for Mexican cuisine, and El Patio is another great option. Sam’s Hawaiian Bar B Que is a unique option for a taste of the islands, and Babe’s Round Up offers a more continental take on barbecue. Looking for a great brunch spot? Don’t miss Verde Café.
For a longer list of restaurants in Camp Verde, Arizona, check out the Heart of Camp Verde website.