There seem to have been several reasons for the abandonment of Montezuma Castle and other pueblos in nearby areas. Those in the Flagstaff area, about 50 miles to the north, underwent depopulation sometime in the 1200’s, possibly as a result of a century of recurring droughts. There was continuous drought for 23 years, from 1276-99. It is thought that many of these people moved southward into the Verde Valley which during this period showed an increase in population.
During this same period, the dry farmers on the desert flats of the Verde Valley moved to the banks of the spring-fed streams. Here irrigation was practiced by others in the small acreage available along the streams. This combination of small farming acreage and a concentration of population may have led to interpueblo strife; and this in turn contributed to a gradual exodus from the Verde Valley. By the late 1300’s the pueblos in the Verde Valley were overpopulated for the available farmland and food supply. Montezuma Castle was probably abandoned during the first part of the 1400’s, since no trade pottery dating after that time has been found.
A number of the cliff dwellers must have gone into northern Arizona to join the friendly Hopi, with whom they had long established trade relations. Modern Hopi traditions still indicate some ancestral origins in the Verde Valley.
Montezuma Well
Another example of prehistoric Indian work can be seen at Montezuma Well, a detached part of Montezuma Castle National Monument, 7 miles by road northeast of the Castle. This area contains a large limestone sink, half filled with water which continually flows out at the rate of 1,500,000 gallons a day. The Indians, who constructed their small cliff dwellings and pueblos around this well, diverted the water into irrigation ditches which carried it to their farmlands below. These ditches are visible today because they were cemented up by the lime content of the water which flowed through them. The story of the Indians at Montezuma Well is similar to that at Montezuma Castle.
How To Reach the Monument
Montezuma Castle is 5 miles north of Camp Verde, 60 miles south of Flagstaff, and 65 miles east of Prescott. It may be reached by U. S. 89 Alternate from Flagstaff via Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona, or by the same highway from Prescott through Jerome, Clarkdale, and Cottonwood, then on a State road through Cornville. It may also be reached by State Routes 69 and 79 from Phoenix, 95 miles to the south.
Another approach from the south is the graveled road from Roosevelt Dam, via Payson, Pine, and Camp Verde.
About Your Visit
You will find small museums at both Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well, to help you understand the area and its history. The monument is open daily from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m. There are very limited picnic facilities in both sections.