Montezuma's Castle

Heading south out of Flagstaff for Montezuma's Castle (Learn more here) the sign beside the road said, 6% grade for 18 miles!!!  Rte 17 was the least drastic of the routes because 89A zigzagged down the canyon wall into Oak Creek Canyon dropping 2500 feet in the matter of a couple of miles!

Rt 17 South from Flagstaff

Going south on 89A was a wild ride in the car,
so we headed south on a the more sedate (ha) route . Photos of downhill grades cannot give you the actual affect of the ride, but I try.

And a lot of gawking to the west at Red Rock Area

Rt 17 Heading down for 18 Miles

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Looking West to the walls of Oak Creek Canyon

West to the Red Rock region around Sedona.

So, we did it, we made it down the 18 mile downhill run and turned onto Camp Verde Road that was labeled Montezuma's Castle Road on my Iphone Maps.  It was okay, regardless of the road name, the blue dot was still on the green line.  Ha! Such is life.

Two left turns takes you to the entry road for Montezuma's Castle National Monument.  By the way, it's good to call ahead, they only have parking for three large rigs or buses defined by red pavement. 

Cresting the hill before the Monument ridges of cliffs rise on the horizon, I immediately assumed that they were part of the Monument, but staff advised us that these were not part of the Monument area and that people did not live in the visible holes in those cliffs.  Oh well, I had the same problem looking at cliffs near the Gila Cliff Dwellings north of Silver City, NM.  

One fourth of the way in from the left you see a couple of dark spots on the cliff, these turn our to be part of the community.

It's only a third mile hike into the Monument, with views of it immediate as soon as you step out of the Visitor Center: The Visitor Center had an excellent interpretative displays inside and out.

Montezuma's Castle

I've been looking for cottonwood trees everywhere since my western reading always referred to the cottonwoods by the creek.  Well, I was excited thinking I finally was seeing Cottonwoods, Aha!  Sycamore, and the Naturalist said that she did not believe that they could cohabitate.

It was lovely in this serene creekside area, sitting allowed for the stillness to grow within.