Went for a hike this morning on the Nature Trails on the property.
On the advice of a fellow camper, we went to visit Montezuma Castle & Montezuma Well, which were both very interesting! It is not really a castle, it is the ruins of a cliff dwelling built in the 12th & 13th centuries. The 5 story "castle" contains 20 rooms and was accessible only by ladders. It stands in a cliff recess 100 feet above the valley floor. Early settlers marveled at the structure and assumed it was Aztec in origin, hence the name Montezuma Castle.
The "Well" is actually a limestone sinkhole, 470 feet wide and 55 feet deep and is rimmed by pueblos and cliff dwellings. Subterranean springs replenish the well with over a million and a half gallons of water a day. The water maintains an even temperature of 76F (25C) year round, flows out through a side cave in the limestone cliffs and was used for irrigation by the Sinagua Indians.
It is chilly!
The "Well"!
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