Montezuma Castle

The other day I asked the kids what they would like to do on daddy's next day off, and the resounding answer was "Go to Tuzigoot!" Unfortunately Tuzigoot is under renovation right now and the visitor's center there is closed for the next 6 months. The up side is that during the renovation process there is no admission fee to visit the monument... but there is also no Jr. Ranger program, museum store etc. I'm not even sure about bathroom facilities. So we were thinking Montezuma Castle might be a better option. The two monuments actually have a joint Jr. Ranger program, so we could do that on this trip, and then take a later trip to Tuzigoot to just enjoy, and not worry about the work involved with the program. Not everyone has been feeling very well in our house this week, so we kind of left it up int he air until this morning as to whether we would make the trip or not.

But this morning, when my kids showed up in my bedroom in their matching pterodactyl shirts and ready to go, who could say no? We grabbed some bagels and headed on out the door!

Before we realized it we were there! On the banks of beautiful Beaver Creek, in a gorgeous canyon, looking up at the past. I truly think there are few things more amazing than the wonders that are preserved in our National and State Parks. Welcome to our past, and our future. Welcome to America, the beautiful, and breathtaking.

Our first stop was the visitor's center where we got an understanding of the way the cliff dwelling was built, and a feel for what the interior is like (it was closed to visitors in the 1950s to prevent damage to the structure.) The kids also picked up their Jr. Ranger program materials, and we all learned a lot more about the amazing Sinagua people who built and lived in these structures.



The 1/3 mile trail was an easy walk for the kids, and afforded amazing views of both the natural geology of the area, and of the ruins themselves. The walk was also an integral part of the kids' Jr. Ranger scavenger hunt.


Montezuma Castle is not the only ruin in the park, however it is much more well preserved than the secondary, Castle A. Castle A was destroyed by fire at one point, but some of the masonry, including foundations and walls of first flor rooms, can still eb seen today. This building was actually much larger than the more well known Montezuma Castle, and is presumed to have housed almost three times as many inhabitants.


(Rock face remains of Castle A)

Despite the lack of human inhabitants, Castle A is not empty. We spotted a squirrel who had obviously nested in a smaller cutout, mud bird nests hanging beneath rock ledges, and in one large entry to a large natural cave, a very impressive bee hive (the kind you think only exist in animation- I only wish it had photographed better).

(Bee hive hanging in cave entry, Castle A)

The kids completed their Jr Ranger program, and are looking forward to future trips up to visit Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot sometime soon! And Reagan can't wait to reread her book A Kid's Guide to Exploring Montezuma Castle National Monument that was the catalyst for them wanting to visit the monuments of this area in the first place. :-)