Cliff dwelling, water at the bottom of a sinkhole
Montezuma Castle stands out for its location in a towering limestone cliff: the multistory dwelling has 20 rooms. Montezuma Castle National Monument is in Yavapai County, Arizona. A self-guided 1/3-mile loop trail passes the cliff dwelling, through a sycamore grove, and along spring-fed Beaver Creek. This short loop brings architecture, a grove of trees, and a stream together in a clear sequence.
Montezuma Well offers a contrasting landscape. The large, spring-fed pond lies at the bottom of a limestone sinkhole; about 1.5 million gallons of water flow through it each day. While the cliffside dwelling dominates the view at Montezuma Castle, the sinkhole and water take center stage at Montezuma Well. The two sites show different ways in which distinctive structures and geological formations can shape the impressions of a trip.
A village on the Verde River
Tuzigoot National Monument is also in Yavapai County, Arizona, on the Verde River. The Pueblo of Tuzigoot represents the remains of a large, multistory village dating from 1100 to 1450 AD. The scale changes when compared with Montezuma Castle: there, a 20-room dwelling stands in a cliff; here, the remains of an entire village. This allows two different forms of historic dwellings to be compared without losing sight of the differences between the sites.
By rail through Verde Canyon
The Verde Canyon Railroad runs from Clarkdale to Perkinsville and back; the round trip is 40 miles long. Its route passes through scenic Verde Canyon and a protected riverbank corridor lined with red rock pinnacles. Along the way, the train passes through a 734-foot-long man-made tunnel. The depot is in Clarkdale, 25 minutes southwest of Sedona and two hours north of Phoenix. Check the railroad’s current schedule before planning your trip.
Trails, desert, and river landscapes
The 80-mile-long Black Canyon Trail offers opportunities for horseback riding on remote trails, mountain biking, and hiking. It passes through Sonoran Desert landscapes with saguaro forests and rugged canyons. The trailhead in Black Canyon City is managed by Yavapai County. The Bradshaw Mountains in the county have extensive chaparral stands. Nine miles of Burro Creek lie within Upper Burro Creek Wilderness in Yavapai County. In the county’s Hassayampa River Canyon Wilderness, the protected area includes several miles of the free-flowing Hassayampa River and its riparian habitat. Together, these areas showcase a variety of landscapes: desert canyons, chaparral, and riverbanks.
Jerome and parks in various communities
Jerome is a former copper-mining town in the Black Hills of Yavapai County. The town offers galleries and tasting rooms featuring locally made wine; individual businesses and offerings may change. Yavapai County also has 13 parks in various communities, including Prescott, Prescott Valley, Black Canyon City, Chino Valley, Cornville, and Yarnell. Amenities at individual parks may change.
Discover more destinations: Prescott, Seligman, Prescott Valley, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Jerome, Ash Fork, Clarkdale, Lake Montezuma
For the main travel overview: Arizona.
