Montezuma Castle

Sinagua indian farmers began building this five story, 20 room structure early in the 12th century. It stands in a cliff recess about 100 feet above the valley. This structure was abandoned in the early 1400s. This structure is protected from the elements and is one of the best preserved prehistoric structures in the Southwest. This cliff dwelling is located about 50 miles south of Flagstaff, AZ. Early American settlers assumed that it was Aztec in origin and named it Montezuma Castle.