Tuzigoot National Monument, AZ

Introduction:

What? :

Along the Verde River in northern Arizona you can find the Tuzigoot National Monument. This location was a home to indigenous peoples for hundreds of years. The Sinagua people built this large and impressive pueblo site more than 1,000 years ago.

The city strategically located on a pointy hilltop overlooking the Verde River valley that enabled the rich agricultural community that thrived here.

The city pueblo stone masonry complex built by the Sinagua people had around 110 rooms and was inhabited by about 250 residents.

Today it is preserved and protected and operated under the Federal National Monument.

Plan for about a 30-60 minute visit here.

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Where? :

Located in northern Arizona, west of Sedona, north of the town of Cottonwood, east of Clarkdale. It’s accessible via highway 89A and well-marked turn off the highway.

Google Map Link

When? :

The park is open year-round.

Open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the last entry at 4:45 PM. The park is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day

The best time to visit here is Fall through spring (October–April) that offers milder temperatures, summer months are hot. This is a very short hike so you can do it without any problems also during the summer months.

Links to few blogs in Sedona, AZ:

Due note 1:

Standard entrance: $10 per adult or by using America the Beautiful Pass that covers all National Parks entries for one year ($80).

Your receipt from Tuzigoot National Monument also gets you entrance into Montezuma Castle National Monument for 7 days.

Due note 2:

Trails are rated wheelchair- and stroller-accessible.

Due note 3:

Dogs are permitted on trails. Never leave your pets in the car.

Due note 4:

There’s cell service here.

Due note 5:

Gas, restaurants and other tourist services can be found in the nearby towns.

Due note 6:

Nearby Sites: Montezuma Castle, Jerome, Verde Canyon Railroad ride, Sedona.

My thoughts:

This was a short stop on our way from Sedona to Las Vegas, visiting here and the nearby old mining town of Jerome.

Interesting to learn about the local history and to see up close the large pueblo stone complex.

The visit:

The Tuzigoot visitor center and museum, built in 1935-1936 has explanations about indigenous peoples, the history and the culture of the Southern Sinagua people.

On top of explanations you can find here an impressive collection of pottery, textiles and tools collected from the pueblo site and other archaeological sites in the area.

Pueblo Trail: from the visitor center there is a paved path leading to the nearby pueblos.

A self-guided 0.3-mile loop covers the pueblo area. You can enter and climb into a reconstructed room at the top of the hill and ascend to the citadel roof for panoramic views.

You can see how they build the rooms stacked on top of earlier constructions.

Ground-level rooms were accessed via roof trapdoors and ladders, with most activities, like food prep and tool-making, often carried out on the rooftops.