Montezuma Castle & Verde Valley Railroad

On Valentine's Day 2013, our Road Scholar group took a field trip to see the cliff dwellings called "Montezuma Castle" where we were awed by the 5-story, 20-room dwelling nestled in a limestone recess high above the narrow flood plain of Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley. In the afternoon, we took a leisurely 4-hour tourist train ride through the beautiful Verde Canyon from Clarkdale to Perkinsville on an old mining train line.

When our Road Scholar group first arrived at the Montezuma National Monument Site, our leader Garrett Roberts gave us an explanation of the trees, cactus, and plants in the area. This gave us some ideas about how the prehistoric people lived in the area.

The people who built and inhabited these cliff dwellings belonged to the Singua culture which thrived in the Verde Valley from 600 to 1400 A.D.

In addition to the dwellings in the main cliff structure, the Singua people built additional dwellings and storehouses at the base of the cliff. They were a settled people who grew beans, corn, squash, and cotton on the narrow flood plain of the nearby Beaver Creek (part of the Verde Valley system).

The limestone cliff has many cave entrances which were undoubtedly used by the prehistoric people.

The economy was highly successful. This map shows the extent of the many villages across the Verde Valley when it reached its maximum population estimated at 4,000 to 8,000.

 

When we left Montezuma Castle, our group became happy and excited - at the thought of our upcoming lunch.

After lunch, we boarded the Verde Canyon Railroad in the tiny town of Clarkdale. It had been the smelter town for the copper mines of the higher-elevation town of Jerome where the mines were located. Clarkdale prospered between 1914 and 1953 when the mines closed down. 

The railway excursion gave us many fascinating views of the beautiful Verde Valley. This photo reveals the home of some of the prehistoric cliff dwellers of the area.

The scenic views including horses drinking from the river were quite spectacular.

Our train had alternate passenger cars and observation decks for indoor and outdoor viewing.

The cliff face fascinated the passengers.

Some imaginative observers thought they could see the profiles of various characters in the shapes of the craggy rocks on the cliff sides and tops. In this photo, some people said they saw a profile of Richard Nixon!

Do you see a rocky tortoise at the top of the cliff?

Perkinsville was the end of the railroad line. In the 1960's, parts of the film "How the West Was Won" were filmed here. One scene here at the old depot featured George Peppard, Debbie Reynolds, and Eli Wallach.

On the return trip from Perkinsville to Clarkdale, we had a second opportunity to see the lush habitat along the river and the dry and rocky slope of the canyon sides.

The Arizona flag flies proudly back in Clarkdale.