Day 1: Montezuma's Castle

Telephoto view of the castle. With the naked eye, it is far up the cliff face.

This National Monument was one of the first ever created. It happened back in 1902 by the enlightened fiat of President Teddy Roosevelt. There is short (1/3 mile), sycamore shaded trail to view the castle, which is a Sinagua (meaning without water) cliff dwelling high up a rock wall. While not as impressive as Mesa Verde, it is still interesting to see and the most well preserved of the Indian Ruins in the Sedona Area. If you have only one day, however, and don't mind driving on a dirt road, I would recommend visiting Palatki. It is in a much more beautiful setting and also contains very interesting pictographs.

Directions: Take exit 289 off of I-17. Drive past the casino and follow the National Park Service brown signs to the site.