Tuzigoot National Monument

Tuzigoot National Monument is the Verde Valley's great hilltop village, and the best complement to the cliff dwelling at Montezuma Castle. Near Clarkdale, about 40 minutes from Sedona, the ruins of a Sinagua pueblo climb the crest of a ridge above the valley. The pueblo had about 110 rooms, 87 on the ground floor and 23 on upper stories; its oldest rooms date to around 1000 CE, and somewhere around 225 to 250 people lived here at a time. They left in the mid-1400s, for reasons archaeologists still debate, among them drought and climate change, disease, conflict and politics. Excavation began in 1933, and from 1933 to 1935 workers rebuilt about 80 percent of the pueblo using stones found on site, so what you see is a careful reconstruction on original foundations. The visit has two parts. The Pueblo Trail is a 0.3-mile self-guided loop that takes 30 to 45 minutes and climbs to the top of the ridge; you can step inside two rooms and climb stairs to the roof of the tallest structure, the citadel, for a sweeping view over the river corridor, the old mining town of Jerome on the mountain, and the distant red rocks. The Tavasci Marsh Overlook Trail is a half-mile walk each way to a view over one of the largest freshwater marshes in Arizona, accessible for wheelchairs and strollers; allow at least two hours for the full marsh trail. Everyone checks in at the visitor center and museum first. An entrance fee applies for visitors 16 and over, and the receipt also admits you to Montezuma Castle for seven days.

Why go when you have already seen Montezuma Castle. The two monuments tell different halves of the Sinagua story. Montezuma Castle is a sheltered cliff dwelling you look up at from a path; Tuzigoot is a whole hilltop village you can walk through and stand on top of. Here you get a sense of community, of rooms opening onto rooms, of a settlement positioned to watch the fields and the river below. The view from the roof explains the choice of site at a glance: water, farmland and a defensible height. The museum holds pottery, tools and other objects found during excavation, and rangers are on hand to answer questions. The 1930s reconstruction is itself part of the history, a Depression-era project that shaped how the public came to see the Sinagua.

Visit craft. Check in at the visitor center, browse the museum, then walk the Pueblo Trail clockwise and save the citadel roof for the end. Note that the Pueblo Trail has steep grades and is not suitable for wheelchairs, while the marsh overlook trail is. Birders should allow time for Tavasci Marsh, a spring-fed wetland that draws waterfowl and songbirds and is part of the monument's fee area. Trails and the pueblo are open only during operating hours, and the monument closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Fee-free days, including Veterans Day on November 11, make for a good excuse to visit.

Plan the loop. Tuzigoot is easy to combine with a Jerome day, because it lies just below the town near Clarkdale, a short drive from the Verde Canyon Railroad depot. A history-focused route from Sedona might start at Tuzigoot in the morning, climb to Jerome State Historic Park and the upper town for lunch, and finish at the Gold King Mine. Alternatively, use the shared pass to pair Tuzigoot with Montezuma Castle on the same day or within the week, and add the free Montezuma Well. The monument sits high above the river on its ridge, but if heavy rain is forecast, check the park's alerts before visiting the marsh trail.