Tuzigoot National Monument

🏺 Tuzigoot National Monument. Ancient Hilltop Ruins with Sweeping Verde Valley Views 🌄 Tuzigoot National Monument is one of those places that quietly surprises you and then stays with you long after you leave. Sitting on a limestone ridge above the Verde Valley, this hilltop pueblo offers a rare mix of archaeology, open space, and panoramic desert scenery that feels both peaceful and powerful. The paved trail leading up to the ruins is well maintained and gradually climbs to the top, making the walk accessible while still feeling immersive. As you ascend, the views open wider and wider the Verde River below, cottonwood trees glowing gold in fall, and mountain ranges stretching across the horizon. Once at the top, the stone room outlines reveal how extensive this ancient Sinagua settlement once was, with dozens of interconnected rooms carefully built from local stone. What really stands out here is the sense of space and silence. Unlike more crowded sites, Tuzigoot allows you to move at your own pace, pause for photos, and truly absorb the setting. Informational signs throughout the ruins are clear and educational, adding valuable context without overwhelming the experience. The small museum near the entrance is also worth a stop, offering artifacts and explanations that deepen your understanding of daily life here centuries ago. This site pairs perfectly with nearby Montezuma Castle, but Tuzigoot feels more open, more hands on, and more scenic. It’s an ideal stop for history lovers, photographers, and anyone exploring Sedona or Cottonwood who wants something meaningful beyond the usual viewpoints. Plan for about 60–90 minutes, bring water, and don’t rush the magic of Tuzigoot is in slowing down and letting the landscape tell its story.

We stopped here a little before going to the evening train ride. You don’t need too much time. We did it in 40min and didn’t feel like we missed anything. If you don’t have a pass and choose to buy one, make sure you hold on to your receipt as you can use it for 7 days at other national monuments. We used it to get into the Montezuma castle a few days later. It’s a really interesting site to check out. Make sure you read some of the plaques and ask questions. It’s interesting to learn about the people who once lived there.

Yesterday morning we stopped at Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale and spent about 45 minutes walking through the site. It’s a compact visit, but there’s a lot packed into it. The stone ruins sit on a ridge above the Verde Valley, and even before getting into the history, the setting alone makes it worth the stop. From the top, you get wide views across the valley toward the surrounding hills, which really helps put the location into perspective. The history here is impressive, especially considering the pueblo was built and occupied centuries ago by the Sinagua people. Walking the loop trail through the ruins gives you a good sense of how the rooms were laid out and how people lived, worked, and stored food. The photos show the well-preserved stone walls, interior rooms with wooden support beams, and the sweeping views looking out over the valley below. Everything is clearly marked, and it’s easy to follow even if you’re not spending a lot of time reading every sign. Overall, this is an easy, well-maintained stop that doesn’t require a big time commitment but still delivers both history and scenery. It’s a good fit for travelers passing through the Verde Valley, families looking for a short outdoor activity, or anyone interested in Southwest archaeology. If you’re expecting a long hike or a large complex, this may feel brief, but as a quick, meaningful visit with great views, it’s well worth stopping.

Small but mighty National Monument. Great sweeping views of the river valley. Well preserved ruins and informative signs. Good to visit in conjunction with Montezuma Well and Castle

This is a cool Place! You can go inside , it comes with two other places too. Go to montezuma castle and motezuma well. We enjoyed the well the best but the others are cool too!

Very cool site (not very crowded) with sweeping views of the region. You certainly get the sense the Sinagua culture with the extensive ruins. It's free if you have already bought a ticket to Montezuma's castle.

It was pretty awesome, the walk in mid day is pretty intense though if your not used to the heat Seeing the room at the top though is totally worth it There is also a small museum nearby which has some cool things and some very lovely rangers to talk to

This was a very surprising and interesting national monument. We just spent several years living abroad and it reminded me of the Nuraghe in Sardegna. There is a lot of information on the Puebloan and Hopi people, as well as many whole artifacts that were discovered here.

Tuzigoot is a cool National Monument near Sedona! You see the ruins from over 900 years ago. It's really cool to see how they built places for survival. I would recommend a tour for more information if you can get one. I just walked around and explored, but would have gotten more history with a guide. There is a small gift shop and museum to check out as well. If you are there around lunch time, there are picnic benches available to sit on if it's not too hot! Overall, it's a great stop if you like history!

Can't believe I waited this long to visit Tuzigoot. The ruins are reconstructed from the original discovery of piles of rubble, and only a very short walk on a paved walkway. The 360 degree views are of the Verde River valley, Clarkdale, Cottonwood and Jerome plus the red cliffs of the Sedona area. We really enjoyed the museum which had an impressive collection of original pottery found at the site included many very large pottery jugs, a larger and more extensive collection than I have typically seen at other Arizona and New Mexico museums. The historical interpretive displays were also very informative. If you read everything you could easily entertain yourself for a hour just in the museum. Free entry with America the Beautiful pass.

This is a must-see in Cottonwood. These are 900-year old dwellings of the indigenous people who used to live in the area. It's incredible to walk through-- time almost stands still. There are views of hills, mountains, the Verde River, and you can even see Jerome in the distance. There's plaques with information about the geography of the area, the inhabitants and their culture, and how the ruins were built. There's also a museum with ancient artifacts from the region, some dating back 13,000 years, as well as a gift shop. Everything here is very accessible and conveniently located between Cottonwood and Jerome.

Incredible surviving pueblo. No longer occupied, now a museum to see how they lived with surviving artifacts. Belongs to the people of the Verde valley, ancient relatives of the Hopi nation. The National Parks annual pass works here. Visitor's center and museum inside. Beautiful view of the Verde valley from the pueblo.

While it is not as big as Montezuma Castle, this place was definitely worth the visit. Entrance was $10 and that gets you access to Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well. Beautiful scenery and not a strenuous walk. Very peaceful. I enjoyed my visit.

History is always a fun thing to experience. This is a pretty small ruin location but is fun to see if you are passing through. Inside there is a very small museum with artifacts and informational placards. Restrooms are located outside and were well maintained. Price was steep for what it as, but the price gets you into the Montezuma castle if you are in the area so that helps.

I don't know i wasn't really impressed, i thought Montezumas castle was a lot better. I would still recommend if you're staying in Sedona or Cottonwood and have a National Park Pass. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way. Also if you're afraid of heights, don't do this.

Interesting area with a bit of history. There is a visitor center where the kids can get a Jr Ranger work book and earn a badge from it. It's $10 per person to walk up to the monument but luckily for us it's a free pass day so we all got in for free.

It was a few minutes out of the way on the return from Sedona to PHX, but was well worth the diversion for me. If you are into archaeology and/or ancient peoples and travelling in this area, it's a must see spot IMO along with Montezuma's Castle -- and $10 gets you into both sites.

Tuzigoot is a pueblo that was built over 900 years ago. On one end of the grounds is the actual pueblo that you can walk around, go inside, and climb to the top. In the middle, is the ranger station/giftshop/museum, and at the other end is a trail that leads to an overlook of a large marsh, which is currently a wildlife oasis, but in the past, was a vital source of water to the residents here. There is signage detailing the discovery, excavation, and preservation of the pueblo, as well as educating about some of the plant life in the area. The gift shop area is tiny, but well stocked with relevant souvenirs, and the museum is also small, but is interesting and educational, nonetheless. There is a small fee to see the sight, or you can get in free with your National Parks Pass. I enjoyed my visit, and absolutely recommend it, but it's not something I need to go to again anytime soon. 17/2024

This is a great place to visit. It doesn't take too long to finish walking the paved road to the Pueblo. It's a nice view of the dry land surrounding the Pueblo. Entrance fee is $10 per person and also allows access to the Montezuma Castle National Monument.

Tuzigoot is somewhat isolated, but if you are in the vicinity, it is worth a stop. If you are heading to Sedona and depending on your route, it might not be too much of a side trip. The location is just a mile or so off the main highway. There is a small parking lot and a visitors' center (where you pay the $10 per person fee). Note that the fee also gives you same day access to Montezuma Castle, which is another national monument only about 30 minutes away. From the VC, you ascend a paved trail up onto a hill, which is topped by the ruins. The topmost structure has been restored so that you can climb some stairs and stand on its roof to survey the surrounding valley. They have good signs posted along the loop trail around the hilltop explaining what the village was like, phases of construction, timeline, etc. The VC also has some displays where were worth checking out. The scenery is nice and it is worth a short stop to explore, but I wouldn't say it was a must-see destination in AZ. There are at least 4 national monuments between here and north & east of Flagstaff. Of those, I think Tuzigoot is the least interesting / unique. That is not intended as a slam against Tuzigoot, rather just that the other 3 (Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon, and Montezuma Castle) are either larger or more unique or more scenic. One other motivator for our visit here was an old family photo from the early 70s. We were able to locate the exact spot where it was taken (which I guess isn't surprising since the reconstructed ruins aren't likely to change much).

This place is so great! We went to Montezuma's Castle first so we were able to get in this piece for free. Staff was so kind and helpful in explaining things you have questions about or showing you the trails that are great to walk along. Bathrooms were clean and everything was full. It was super windy the day we went but it was still a beautiful day. We also hit the river access on the way out to look around, there's a little boat access for things like canoes and kayaks. Area was clean and nice.

3.9 stars I came here on a Sunday morning with my dog and it was pretty empty. The entrance fee is $10 per person which gave me access to Montezuma Castle as well, so it's not a bad deal and felt like I was supporting 2 parks. And yes, it's dog-friendly!! They only ask that you clean up after your pets :) Inside the visitor's center, there is a small museum section and I was allowed to carry my dog inside. Briefly put, Tuzigoot is an excavated site, preserved to give visitors a tiny glimpse into the lives of the Sinagua. There's way more info than I remember, so I'll have to suggest the official website for those interested in the history :) The views are pretty nice and there are easy hiking trails if one is up for meandering about. Definitely worth a visit! But, also, like another reviewer has put it, "you're paying $10 to look at walls" LOL! Note: Plenty of parking spaces available. My dog loved it!

Definitely worth going to if you're in the area. They have a little museum that I highly recommend exploring first as it gives you the background information. To see the things the Sinagua people created with such primitive tools and the structure they created stone by stone is amazing. The historic site is small and you can spend as little as an hour. Staff were friendly at the visitor center with clean bathrooms and a souvenir shop with a good selection. Parking was adequate for all vehicle sizes. $10 fee per person $9 for seniors

Pretty cool experience and history lesson of the Sinagua people. Nice museum inside the visitors center and it's a nice short walk to the ruins. You can go inside the ruin and up the stairs to the top and overlook the valley and take in the beauty of it all. Impressive and we were able to get a pass from Montezuma Castle and visit both monuments for $10 a person. Totally worth it.

If you want a nice easy hike or afternoon walk, I recommend Tuzigoot national Monument. The entry is $10 and also gains you entry to Montezuma Castle national Monument. Tuzigoot not only allows you to experience historical ruins, but also includes a long nature walk to the Tavasci Marsh Overlook with local flowers and plants. Along the path are information plaques by each plant to educate visitors of their food and medicinal purposes.

Since I got my U.S. National Park Pass, I have been enjoying visiting all these National parks and monuments. FDR designated Tuzigoot Ruins as a U.S. National Monument in 1939. Tuzigoot National Monument preserves a 2 to 3 story pueblo ruin just east of Clarksdale and Cottonwood on top of a ridge made of limestone and sandstone. The Tuzigoot Site is an elongated complex of stone masonry rooms that were built near the Verde River. The construction of multi-room pueblos began by the year 1000. They were never intended to be a permanent settlement as the people migrated elsewhere in the 1300s probably due to environmental factors. We were camping at nearby Dead Horse State Park and took some time to check out these ruins. The history behind it was fascinating and we enjoyed walking around the site. The views of the Valley from on top of this summit are beautiful. There was a really nice guide on hand at the visitor center that gave us details about the ruins. Inside the museum are a number of archeological artifacts that were removed from Tuzigoot. Checking out a monument that is a part of Arizona's rich history made for a nice day.

Interesting history and a great archeological find but for the price of entry there is not a ton here to see. Lucky we have the park pass so our 30 mins or so visit was fine. The small display in the visitor center was well done and the restored site was worth the walk up the hill. Also a nice view from the top. A very short review for a very short visit.

This is not only a great place to head out to when the traffic is crazy in Sedona, but it something very fun! I love being able to see how the early people in this area lived and this monument did not disappointed. The views are spectacular and majestic also! I highly recommend buying the National Park annual pass as it can be used for this monument as well had many places across the country. Bathrooms are clean here and staff helpful.

This land is rich in Native American history, Tuzigoot National Monument gives you a glimpse into some of that history through its excavation and recreation of 1,000 year old 110 room hilltop pueblo. Hike just a 1/3 of a mile up the hill to see the prehistoric life in central Arizona of the Sinagua people. These nomadic people settled in the Verde Valley for a time, before moving on. These ancient people traveled widely across the continents, probably following game animals, the growth of edible plants, and other resources. The museum shows of ancient artifacts found, pottery, jewelry, clovis points and more help depict how life was for the Native Americans. As with other sites across the region, evidence of trading with other communities is clear from what was found on site. Even the construction of the pueblo has enough similarities to show interaction across tribes. During the excavation of Tuzigoot pueblo, trade items and materials from hundreds of miles away were found. Walking inside these reconstructed homes was really neat, the stair step style of building into the hillside complimented the land. Enjoy the history and peek into prehistoric lifestyle.

There's nothing "wrong" with this place however there's not a whole lot to see or do and we found some conflicting information from their own information boards. Some say there were 110 people living here, some say 225, some say 400+. Some show which buildings were constructed first being on one side of the hill while another shows something different. For $10 a person to see some walls, it was a bit of a letdown. The hike is fairly easy unless you have limitations; the walkways are sometimes steep with no railings. There's a trail that leads to a dead end. But all trails are paved like sidewalks and are maintained. This is not handicap accessible. The museum and gift shop are quaint but overpriced. $32 for a coffee mug? No. I think it was interesting enough to see once. Friendly staff.

So I would not have stopped by except it was a slight detour enroute to Jerome. The views are stunning and they have unearthed a good portion of the original Sinaqua structures. Except for the tower, most of the other building are down to the footprint of the village. Tiny museum at the visitor center. $10 entrance unless you have a national park pass.

We found out about Tuzigott when we stopped at Walnut Canyon National Monument and thought we would try to stop in while in the area. We stopped here about 1:30pm on a Friday while traveling from Sedona to Prescott. This is a National Monument and we were able to use our new "America the Beautiful" pass to access without charge. Tuzigoot is located between Cottonwood and Jerome and is well marked and easy to find. The Tuzigoot Visitors Center has a nice yet small museum which helps to explain the area and gift shop. We purchased a few items and walked the ruins. As we walked were very impressed with how they built on the high hill which would provide defense from all directions. We also learned about the copper mine tailings which were deposited in the area. Overall, this was another great visit of one our National Monuments.

This monument was pretty large. It was quiet and peaceful. Everyone there was mindful of others nearby. The gift shop had a lot of interesting historical facts that you can read with items from way back when. There was a fairly quick walk up to the ruins of the hilltop pueblo. As you walk towards the top, there are signs for you to read. You get to see the size of the room that a family of four would have had. Imagining how we live now, many probably wouldn't be able to handle the limited amount of space they had. Yet back in the day, it was just perfect for them. Some of the landscape is still part of the original. Once you get to the top of the hilltop, there is a person there who can answer any questions you may have and you can see the creek as well.

Enjoyed the ruins of the Tuzigoot Poeple. We also toured the Montezuma Case not far away. Maybe 30 miles. Easy walk to see the ruins and signage and the museum explain what you looking at. Go to the top and see the great views from their hilltop spot. You could see anyone, especially enemies approaching. I could make a cool condo of this place! Lol!! Worth checking out!!

We were in the fortunate situation of having a few hours to kill so we fired up the map and saw a bunch of national monuments. After visiting Montezuma Well and Montezuma's Castle, we decided to head for Tuzigoot. We have a national parks pass, but I think I recall them saying that if you get a pass at one of those three I just mentioned, it's good for all three. We were pretty interested in the ancient inhabitants of the Verde Valley, so we probs would have sprung for it anyways, but that national pass is pretty nice. The Sinagua had quite the civilization. This is a pretty large pueblo on a hill, and there's a lot of research that's been done about when it was built. It wasn't all built at once, but rather over several phases. And of course, the great mystery that remains is why it (and so many others in the whole region) were abandoned. Walk along and pop into a few of the rooms. Read the signage. Imagine life here with your whole family in one room, butted up against the next family's room, and the next, and the next. Life would have been so different then and you really get a feel for that here in this place. Dogs are welcome, so the pup got to walk the grounds, too. On leash, of course. She's been able to sniff some pretty incredible places in her life we had a nice little walk. Not much of the inside part is doable now because of COVID, and though it's not a large building, I can't say for certain what you're missing out on. But the outside is what you're after. We had a lovely walk, and you probably won't spend more than an hour here (less with impatient kiddos, much more if you're really reading and pondering). It's a nice road trip stop. Speaking of road trips, here's an aside I just needed to document for my own sake. For reasons that cannot be explained by me, we started referring to this place as "The Goot" on our trip. The entire rest of the trip, it was The Goot. Today, it's still The Goot. I just love road trip lore.

We visited Tuzigoot while traveling through the area. It was a good site and we enjoyed seeing the ruins. You can walk around them and you can even go inside one and climb up onto the roof, getting a good view of the site. The visitors center has some artifacts you can see. I think admission here also gets you into Montezuma Castle NM and vice versa. It's a good place to check out if you're in the area and is worth seeing if you visit the Sedona area.

Very interesting history and ecological site. Super staff and volunteers. Everyone was very approachable and knowledgeable. May have to make a visit to the partner property down the mountain- Montezuma castle. Thanks

Quick stop. A short walk to the ruins of a hilltop pueblo, previously occupied by the Sinagua people (a name meaning "without water" in Spanish which is actually inaccurate since they had access to ample water). We saw all the ancient dwelling ruins in the area (Montezuma's Castle, Walnut Canyon, Wupatki). The others made more of an impression on me (more elaborate structures) but Tuzigoot is still a fascinating piece of local history. I highly recommend checking out all the local ruins, if you have the time. I recommend buying the annual pass but there might also be a discount if you're visiting all the national monuments in the area.

I came here, somewhat on the spur of the moment, after visiting Montezuma's Castle Monument. I overheard the ranger telling the people in front of me that the entrance ticket was good for same-day entrance to Tuzigoot and the wheels in my mind started to turn. I have a national parks pass so I could have got into Tuzigoot for free anyway but since I didn't really have an itinerary set in stone I figured I'd head over to Tuzigoot. It's actually amazing how many of these native settlements are scattered all over Arizona. There are a few that have up to 1000 dwellings. I kind of wonder if there are settlements that haven't been discovered yet. Anyway, I drove the few miles from Montezuma to Tuzigoot and headed up the short trail to the main settlement. As you look over one of the edges, you can see how there were hundreds of rooms for the families that used to live there. The rooms are modest and small enough for an entire family. Compared to today's standards, yes they are small but life was simpler and people didn't need as much. The goal was just to survive. It was nice to walk the trail since there was a wonderful wind blowing to take the sting off the 108-degree heat and it made the walk quite pleasant. I encourage you to check out the interpretive center and gift shop. There is a ranger on-site and there are a lot of smaller more delicate items within the interpretive center like ceramics and fiber arts and even dyes that were created from the elements around. It's really cool to see how innovative the people of the town were and also the efforts that have been made to preserve the grounds using the same or similar techniques and resources that were once used before. This is a great quick stop. They have places to fill up your water bottles and restrooms as well. Even though it's a short hike, the dry desert air can leave you quite parched and dehydrated really quickly so make sure you bring water.

we lucked out, weather-wise. This would be a little more challenging in the blazing sum. walking not difficult but there us stairs and hill. I would recommend

If you're a history buff or if you're at all interested in Native American cultures, this is a great place to visit. The ruins are well-preserved and you can walk (climb) up thru the ruins on paved walkways. There is a small museum/visitor's center at the entrance that offers some limited insights into the history of the site. The ruins themselves are a 2- to 3-story pueblo ruin on the summit of a limestone and sandstone ridge just east of Clarkdale, Arizona. The ruins stand about 120 feet above the Verde River floodplain. The Tuzigoot Site is an elongated complex of stone masonry rooms that were built along the spine of a natural outcrop in the Verde Valley. The central rooms stand higher than the others and they appear to have served public functions. The pueblo has approximately 110 rooms. This site is a National Monument and your National Parks pass works here. Plan on spending 1-2 hours to thoroughly explore.

A beautiful monument and archaeological site! We stopped in to visit Tuzigoot on our way to Jerome for the day. As an archaeologist, it was wonderful to see such a well-preserved site taken care of with great awareness. With the intense scale of excavation, you can actually see standing walls and layouts of the houses which once housed indigenous peoples here. But you can certainly why this site was selected for the town. Man, is that a beautiful view! You can look out over the entire valley from Tuzigoot! Either before or after you visit to the ruins, you should also look through the museum inside and see all of the artifacts uncovered during the excavations. So well-preserved and insightful into the lives of those who once lived here. Overall, I loved our visit to Tuzigoot and would highly recommend a stop in!

We were visiting Arco Santi, Montezuma Well and Castle a couple years ago and decided to head over to Cottonwood off the 17 and were so glad we did get a chance to see the Pueblo. I would encourage anyone who hasn't been and traveling on the 17 to schedule a side trip off the freeway for an early breakfast in Cottonwood and the day at the Pueblo. Be sure to bring a lunch, plenty of water and a hat any time of the year, also a good jacket or windbreaker during the cooler months. Between the visitor center and the site, you should plan to spend at least three to four hours to take it all in. Just the view of the lush green valley is worth the hike up to the top of the ancient community. Montezuma Well and Castle are must dos as well if you are into learning about our southwest history and the beautiful people who lived here centuries before. You could also spend the night in Cottonwood and take a drive up to Jerome and over to Prescott or head north to Sedona the next day. You won't regret either choice!

While on a tour of Tuzigoot I learned that it was excavated from 1933 to 1935 and designated a National Monument in 1939 by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. It is a Sinagua Indian ruin that sits on a hill with a spectacular view all the way around it. There are a cluster of ruins that give you a good idea of how they lived around the 15th century. It was estimated that around 250 people lived in the buildings that might have numbered near 80. There is a gift store at the bottom of the hill.

Tuzigoot National Monument Tuzigoot is the anglicization of Tonto Apache phrase that's usually translated as "crooked water." which is the name for this stretch of the Verde River. In Tonto Apache, the name is Tú Digiz, and it was given to this site in 1934 by Ben Lewis, an Apache man who worked on the excavation of the pueblo. It's pronounced TOO-zee-goot. The people who built the pueblo lived here long enough ago that modern tribal divisions are hard to apply. Archeologists call them the "Sinagua," and they are ancestors of the Hopi, Navajo, Yavapai, and Apache, among others. Populations in the Sinagua (sin-OW-wah) area lived in large pithouse and pueblo communities. Primarily in central Arizona as far north as Flagstaff. And as far south as the Verde valley. They were at the Tuzigoot National Monument site for hundreds of years all indications are that they thrived and prospered however many abruptly left in the late 1300s. Many migrated North to the Hopi Mesas. In the Hopi history they feel it's part of the natural migration. In the Zuni stories some stayed and some settled with them. The Yavapai Apache say that there ancestors left the pueblos and farms for a more mobile lifestyle of hunting and gathering. Tuzigoot National Monument visitor center has incredible artifacts on display with explanations about them. Although the building structure was built in the 30s to mirror Pueblo architecture a recent interior remodel has made it a very pleasant educational experience. They have several really amazing things, new to me things. One of the wooden botanical displays is split twig figurines made from Willow with a continuous Warp. There's about six figurines and they're listed between 2000 to 4000 years old. The museum staff said they were was donated back in the thirties from sycamore canyon area. They really didn't say much more about it my guess it was a cave because it's pretty amazing to see wooden artifacts in that condition and to be able to date it like they did. I would love to know the background on the find. In terms of Arizona it's probably best known as a site of copper slurry from the Jerome area and the near by copper mines. Its interesting to note that it was out of work minors that helped build the monument and their wives helped with the excavation and cleanup of the artifacts during the 1930s depression. The Phelps Dodge corporation did cap the area eventually to try to keep the slurry runoff from running into the Verde River. The other thing that really struck me was in their textiles and basketry section. They had a finally woven fabric that reminded me of tie-dye and they actually called it a tie-dye the fabric was dyed blue and has a pattern of diagonally placed squares left free of the die except for blue dots in the centers of each. It was something new for me as well. They have quite a collection of ground Stone, in one room that they excavated in the Pueblo they found 21 manos and Metates. They have a good display of axes and some were dated quite old but feeling was they were passed on cuz they were so hard to make. They found lots of bowls and square shape discs for paint production. They actually have a display on that specific aspect which is very interesting. They also have a flake Stone area which has the usual drills protect All points tools etc. They also have an area showing things made out of bone. They have a section on adornments and when I thought was particularly interesting was a turquoise and a shell from a frog. They have lots of fantastic pottery on display as well. The cool thing I thought was they had a clay jar stopper and the mold of the jar rim had impressions of corn cobs in kernels which again I had never seen before. For not being as large as some places it was a significant trading area or they did significant trade I should say because of the different things that they found. The types of pottery that were manufactured in other areas. Bones and skeletons of macaws. It's well worth a visit. The sources of my information are the National Park service information on Tuzigoot, there museum exhibits USparks.com and archaeology Southwest. https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/ancient-cultures Nice photos and information https://swvirtualmuseum.nau.edu/photos/index.php?/category/441 And USparks https://www.us-parks.com/nps/tuzigoot-national-monument/disturbed-lands.html

I had been in the area before but finally got a chance to visit this national monument. The location is very close to Cottonwood where we were staying. The rangers were very friendly and helpful during our visit to the visitor's center. They had plexiglass installed around the cashier station for pandemic protection. If you were buying gifts, you paid at one register, and if you were buying the national parks annual pass or entrance fee to the monument, you paid at a different register. After checking in and paying, we exited the building and walked up to the ruins area. There is an easy concrete sidewalk type path up to the top of the ruins area that loops around the backside so you can walk the loop and return to the visitor's center and parking lot. We could not walk inside the ruins when we were there, but it looked like visitors may have been able to based on some stairs and railings that still existed but were locked off. There are storyboards along the path where you can read about the people and the history of the area. It was worth the visit and didn't take too much of our day.

We really enjoyed our visit to this 110 room pueblo built over 900 years ago! It was very cool to walk around and inside parts of this structure still standing. The panoramic view from the top is outstanding. The visitors center has some exhibits with artifacts and information on the inhabitants and reconstruction of certain parts of the structure. It is very well preserved. There's a nice paved path (about 1/3 mile loop) that takes you up to the top of the pueblo. Along the path are informational plaques with information about the pueblo, inhabitants and surrounding area. There's a decent sized parking lot and restrooms available. The cost is $10 per person. We would recommend.

Nice small place. 10 bucks a piece unless you have a National Parkpass, then it's free. Lots of artifacts some great pictures of restoration etc. Rangers were very helpful and pleasant.

Tuzigoot National Monument is the site of hilltop pueblo just outside Cottonwood. It was a short trip from Sedona where we were staying for the week. Rely on your GPS to get there because there were little or no signs from the highway pointing the way there (which is odd considering the fact that this is a "national monument"). Access opens at 8AM each day and we got there shortly after 8 to avoid any crowds. It was nice not to have lines or a lot of people around to distract from the beauty of the place. Admission is $10/person, which you pay inside the interpretive center. The admission also entitles you to access to Montezuma Castle for the week, which is several miles away. The interpretive center has a number of exhibits explaining how the community came into being, how it grew in size, and the nature of the archeological artifacts found there. It was remarkable to discovery that Tuzigoot was a thriving community for 300 years (1000-1300AD), which is longer than the US has been in existence. We also purchased a few cool postcards, and thought about buying some t-shirts that were selling for 50% off in order to support the good work of the National Parks Service. The ruins are a short walk from the parking lot. The views from the site are breathtaking. Unfortunately access to the top of the lookout were closed due to repair. This is truly a cultural gem and an important historical landmark of Arizona.

Another great National Monument worth the trip. We arrived mid September. Not really busy during our visit. Do visit the visitor center first as the display is really interesting and informative. This park is part of the Montezuma Well and Castle complex. Yup, used the be about 8,000 people in this area. You can take a short loop walk and go up in the Pueblo or you can take a longer walk and come back via the loop. The site and the views are worth the walk. You can go up on top of the Pueblo. The Pueblo has stairs so not easily accessible for everyone. Heed the water and sunscreen/hat warning. We took the short loop and we're extremely glad we did. Worth the drive.

Such a neat reconstruction of an ancient Sinagua Native American settlement in Cottonwood, AZ. This site was occupied from around 800 AD to 1400 AD on an elevated butte next to the Verde River. The entire site (which was in ruins and rubble) was stabilized and rebuilt during my the WPA and CCC in the 1930s. The original settlement was over 50 rooms, many two stories, housing hundreds of people. Nearby fields were used for growing crops. The nearby river gave fish, water fowl, irrigation, and drinking water. Historians don't know why the people left the site. Today the reconstructed site gives a good impression of how early Native Americans survived the harsh Arizona environment. The is a visitor center on site displaying many artifacts found onsite including tools, jewelry, and pottery. There is a well stocked gift shop there as well.

This is interesting and the same admission from the Montezuma Castle gets you in here as well. The ruins are interesting to visit and you learn a lot about the area. The visitor center is pretty good and it had lots of exhibits but by the end I was a little zoned out. I think we were here about an hour. This is worth a stop if you're in the area, especially if you have the admission from Montezuma Castle. It isn't a must do though if you have a packed schedule.

It was cool to come check this out while we were staying in the area. It's kept really nice and has a well taken care of paved path. It's not super time consuming so I wouldn't plan more than an hour or so to spend out here. Definitely worth going to see.

My husband and I took a long weekend getaway in February 2020, right before COVID struck. We flew into Phoenix and drove up to Sedona to celebrate my birthday. This was an unexpected gem that we found along the way! We loved the history of the area and and opportunity get out of the car to stretch our legs. The interior portion the national monument houses a museum like set up with artifacts and rich history of the area. Great for adults, but not necessarily a place that would be overly exciting for kids. Clean and well cared for. Bring snacks, as food is not offered.

Beautiful historic site that has wonderful views. Since this pandemic the gift shop wasnt open but the park is free right now. Its really nice to read how the original natives of America lived. This is something the whole family can appreciate. Little board along the way to give information.

This is a nice stop when doing a Native ruins circle including Montezuma's Castle and Montezuma's Well. It shows the other common dwelling type, pueblo, while the Montezuma monuments highlight cliff dwellings. Plan for about an hour. Other than seeing the Visitor's Center, there is little to do other than walk around the ruins (and there aren't many).

If you have something better to do, then I would pass on this place. In reality, seeing the pictures is enough. The ruins aren't impressive and you basically pay $10 to walk up a hill. A hike like Tom's Thumb is a much more fun experience. As of a couple of weeks ago, they are also still masking their employees...ridiculous.