Montezuma Castle National Monument - Camp Verde, Arizona

Jared L.

This place was really cool and the guides were amazing! It cost $10 but also gets you into another one about 20 minutes away. That’s pretty cool too. You can’t walk up into it, but it’s such a beautiful place kind of a little oasis.

Landon B.

Very thought provoking and interesting place. This isn’t a castle, it’s just an ancient city carved on the side of a cliff. There’s a small trail here with good views of the city.

Theres a small visitor center with an exhibit, restrooms, and water. The employees were good and the trail offers good education about the place. But just seeing the place is astonishing enough. Overall, would definitely recommend stopping by for a short while.

Rachel R.

It's a must see if you are in this area. It's amazing. And mind boggling to think how people lived like this! There's a gift shop and bathrooms. We got the park pass for here and Toozigoot as we went in the same day. Much cheaper. The hike is easy and not that long. The sycamore trees are beautiful to look at and the river is as well. It's limestone and other rocks, and it's just fascinating. I'm so glad we went! Pictures don't do justice.

Maggie L.

We had to spend the night in Camp Verde dueto closed mountain passes leading to Grand Canyon. What a pleasant surprise to come across this stunning and interesting monument from the past. The remains of a beautiful village from the past surrounded by trees and a plentiful flowing creek. So worth the visit. The visitors center told the story of these gentle, hard-working, peaceful natives. Along the trail is a diorama showing what life was like then. What a treasure.

Kellina P.

TL;DR: Montezuma Castle is a fascinating historical site with easy access, informational displays, and a short walk to stunning views of the Castle.

Montezuma Castle is a really interesting place to visit if you’re in the area. It’s a short and easy walk from the visitor center to see the Castle, with plenty of informational plaques along the way to provide context and history. While tours of the Castle itself stopped in 1951, the displays and exhibits offer a great sense of what life there might have been like.

It’s a quick stop, but the history and views make it worth the visit. I’m glad I took the time to check it out!

Rachel

If you're just here for the view, it’s a solid 5 stars — the monument offers beautiful scenery, an easy trail, amazing Arizona sycamore trees, Beaver Creek views, family- and dog-friendly paths, shaded areas, and wheelchair accessibility.

But if you're hoping to learn something about the history of the Castle, don’t trust the park ranger’s presentation. In Arizona and across parts of the Southwest, some park rangers — like the one I encountered — have started replacing “A.D.” with “C.E.” (Common Era) in an effort to be “culturally sensitive.” Let’s be real: this is just another example of rewriting history to cater to overly sensitive people.

A.D. stands for Anno Domini — Latin for “in the year of our Lord.” It refers to the years after the birth of Jesus Christ, not His death. Swapping it out for C.E. just to avoid religious reference isn’t educational — it’s a deliberate attempt to erase historical context to make certain people more comfortable.

This park ranger didn’t just adopt alternative terminology — she blatantly replaced historical facts with a watered-down, agenda-driven version of events. That’s not teaching — it’s misleading.

It’s a sad day when you can’t trust a park ranger to tell the truth to you or your children. It is completely unacceptable for someone in a position of public trust to rewrite history to fit a modern narrative. This ranger is in the wrong and should be removed from educational programs if this behavior continues.

History isn’t supposed to be comfortable — it’s supposed to be accurate. Our children — and all visitors — deserve truth, not filtered fiction. Shame on the Arizona Park Service for allowing this kind of misinformation to be spread under the guise of education.

Jen

Nice short paved walk to see the site. It is a national park, can use your passes here. Nice visitor center with a store. Enjoyed the history, site and the walk. Nice clean restrooms and picnic areas

Jamie F. N. M.

It truly amazes me that our Native ancestors could build homes on cliffs and live in such a rugged, unforgiving terrain. Man made ancient beauty. The short hike is easy, with a paved trail.