Montezuma Castle National Monument
Established December 8, 1906, Montezuma Castle is the third National Monument dedicated to preserving Native American culture. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape.
Alerts
- CautionNPS ↗Visiting During Monsoon Season (July-September)
All park trails are closed for 30 minutes following any lightning strikes five miles or less from the park. This includes Montezuma Well and the trail to see Montezuma Castle. Please check the forecast ahead of your visit.
- InformationStaff Unable to Check Phone Messages at the Visitor Center
At this time, staff are unable to check or receive phone messages left at the visitor center. All calls to the park are being routed to Tuzigoot National Monument. You can also reach the park at [email protected] if you need to contact the park.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedNewman Piles Rx
29 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedWilson Piles Rx
41 mi from the park's reference point
- PrescribedWalker Hill 2 Piles Rx
44 mi from the park's reference point · 356 acres
- PrescribedWalker Hill Piles Rx
46 mi from the park's reference point · 725 acres
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Per PersonThis entrance fee covers one adult, aged 16 and over, for entrance to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments for 7 days. | $10 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - Park$35 annual pass, good for one (1) year. Will cover the entrance fee at both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments. Available to everyone; good for card holder plus 3 adult guests. Can be obtained in person at Montezuma Castle National Monument, Tuzigoot National Monument, or online at Recreation.gov. Passes are NON-REFUNDABLE, NON-TRANSFERABLE, and cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. | $35 | |
Montezuma Castle Entrance Fee - Per Adult - $10.00 This entrance fee covers one adult, aged 16 and over, for entrance to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments for 7 days. Montezuma Castle Entrance Fee - Children - $0.00 Children aged 15 and under are free. Montezuma Well - Free Entrance - $0.00 Montezuma Well, a detached unit or district of Montezuma Castle, does not charge an entrance fee.
Hours
| Montezuma Castle | Daily · 9:00AM - 4:45PM |
| Montezuma Well | Daily · 9:00AM - 4:45PM |
Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 9:00AM - 4:45PM |
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
When to go
March draws the most visits here and August the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Montezuma Castle Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
This visitor center provides the entrance fee station, as well as bathrooms, a small museum, and the Western National Parks Association bookstore. Stop in first to get all the information you need!
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- View Montezuma Castle30-45 Minutes
Visitors can view two cliff dwellings while visiting the park, Montezuma Castle and Castle A. An accessible, 0.3 mile trail loops around the site and features many views of both the dwellings and the creekside ecosystem they rise above.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot BARK Ranger30-120 Minutes
Do you think your dog has what it takes to become an official Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot Bark Ranger? Stop by the visitor center to get certified. Certification allows you to purchase an exclusive BARK Ranger badge from the bookstore.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Beaver Creek SchoolBuilding · Rimrock · 3.7 mi
- Camp Verde Grammar SchoolBuilding · Camp Verde · 4.6 mi
- Hank and Myrtle Wingfield HomesteadBuilding · Camp Verde · 6.2 mi
- Clear Creek ChurchBuilding · Camp Verde · 6.8 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Forest Service trails nearby
These trails are outside the park on National Forest land, within 15 miles of Montezuma Castle. Each one opens on Trailhead Atlas.
Distance is measured from the park's reference point to the nearer end of the trail.
Guidebooks for Arizona's national parks and the Southwest
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Local history books for Montezuma Castle National Monument
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthCoyote 5× · Belted Kingfisher 1× · American White Pelican 1× · Bald Eagle 1× · Western Screech-Owl 1× · Great Horned Owl 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 217 birds, 73 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Common Barn Owl · Common Black-Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Elf Owl · Ferruginous Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Merlin · Northern Harrier · Northern Pygmy Owl · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western screech-owl · Zone-tailed Hawk
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Cattle Egret · Cinnamon Teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater White-fronted Goose · Green Heron · Green-winged Teal · Hooded Merganser · Lesser Scaup · Northern Pintail · Pied-billed Grebe · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Snow Goose · Snowy Egret · wood duck
Shorebirds & seabirdsBaird's Sandpiper · Common Snipe · Greater Yellowlegs · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Western Sandpiper · Willet · wilson's phalarope
Gamebirds & dovesEurasian Collared Dove · Gambel's Quail · Inca Dove · Mourning Dove · Rock Dove · White-winged Dove
WoodpeckersGila Woodpecker · Ladder-backed Woodpecker · Lewis' woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsAnna's Hummingbird · Black-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-billed Hummingbird · Calliope Hummingbird · Costa's Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · Vaux's Swift · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAbert's Towhee · American Cliff Swallow · American Dusky Flycatcher · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Robin · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black-chinned Sparrow · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-tailed Gnatcatcher · Black-throated Gray Warbler · Black-throated Sparrow · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Bridled Titmouse · Bronzed Cowbird · Brown Creeper · Brown-crested Flycatcher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's (Northern) Oriole · Bushtit · Cactus Wren · Canvasback · Canyon Towhee · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Finch · Cassin's Kingbird · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Crissal Thrasher · Curve-billed Thrasher · Dark-eyed Junco · Dusky-capped Flycatcher · Eastern Meadowlark · Elegant Trogon · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Gadwall · Gray Vireo · Gray-breasted (Mexican) Jay · Great-tailed Grackle · Greater Roadrunner · Green-tailed Towhee · Hammond's Flycatcher · Hepatic Tanager · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Oriole · Horned Lark · House Finch · House Sparrow · House Wren · Hutton's Vireo · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lawrence's Goldfinch · Lazuli Bunting · Lesser Goldfinch · Lesser Nighthawk · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Louisiana Waterthrush · Lucy's Warbler · Macgillivray's Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Nashville Warbler · Northern Beardless Tyrannulet · Northern Cardinal · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Painted Whitestart · Phainopepla · Pine Siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Purple Martin · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rock Wren · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rufous-crowned Sparrow · Sage Sparrow · Sage Thrasher · Say's Phoebe · Scott's Oriole · Solitary Vireo · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's Warbler · Tree Swallow · Verdin · Vermilion Flycatcher · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Flycatcher · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Scrub-Jay · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped Warbler · Yellow-throated Vireo · gray flycatcher · spotted towhee · wilson's warbler
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Arizona Cotton Rat · Arizona Gray Squirrel · Arizona Pocket Mouse · Audubon's Cottontail · Black-tailed Jack Rabbit · Cliff Chipmunk · Common Muskrat · Crawford's Gray Shrew · Eastern Cottontail · Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel · Harris' antelope squirrel · Hispid Pocket Mouse · House Mouse · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Ord's kangaroo rat · Piñon Deermouse · Plains Harvest Mouse · Rock Squirrel · Southern Grasshopper Mouse · White-footed Deermouse · botta's pocket gopher · brush mouse · cactus mouse · common porcupine · deer mouse · mexican woodrat · rock pocket mouse · stephen's woodrat · western harvest mouse · white-throated woodrat
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Common Otter · Coyote · Hooded Skunk · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · common raccoon · hog-nosed skunk · western spotted skunk
Hoofed mammalsCollared Peccary · Mule Deer · Pronghorn · White-tailed Deer · elk
BatsAllen's Big-eared Bat · Big Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Black Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Cave Myotis · Eastern Red Bat · Eastern Small-footed Bat · Fringed Myotis · Greater Bonneted Bat · Hoary Bat · Little Brown Bat · Long-legged Myotis · Pallid Bat · Pinto Bat · Pocketed Free-tailed Bat · Red Bat · Southwestern Myotis · Townsend's big-eared bat · Western Pipistrelle · Yuma Myotis
Also on the checklistCatamount · Caucasian wildcat · White-nosed Coati
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
All 13 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Summer: Hot. Temperatures range from 95°F (35°C) to 115°F (46°C). Nighttime temperatures can be much cooler, around 70°F (21°C). From July through September, heavy rains called monsoons are common in the afternoons. Winter: Cool. Highs average around 55°F (13°C); lows may be in the teens (-10°C). Snow is rare, but possible. For detailed information, visit the National Weather Service: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=34.61151944900047&lon=-111.8389592099997#.Vi_FZX6rSUk
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Montezuma Castle?
Entrance is $10 per person on foot or bike. This entrance fee covers one adult, aged 16 and over, for entrance to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments for 7 days.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Montezuma Castle?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Montezuma Castle-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Montezuma Castle takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Montezuma Castle free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Montezuma Castle?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Montezuma Castle. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Montezuma Castle?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 4:45PM, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Montezuma Castle right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Visiting During Monsoon Season (July-September); Staff Unable to Check Phone Messages at the Visitor Center.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Montezuma Castle?
320,013 recreation visits in 2025, number 145 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Montezuma Castle?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Montezuma Castle established?
1906.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Montezuma Castle?
Summer: Hot. Temperatures range from 95°F (35°C) to 115°F (46°C).
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
