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Park News and Visitor Guide U.S. Department of the Interior

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments

VOLUME 6 • NUMBER 1 • 2012–2013

Welcome to the Verde Monuments The , lying under the spectacular pine-clad cliffs of Echoes from the Past the of central , forms an immense biological transition between desert, grassland, and forest vegetation zones. As the seasons change, this endangered riparian habitat of the Discovering the 10,000 year legacy serves as a migration corridor for many animals (through of people in the Verde Valley land and air). But for thousands of years, the Verde Valley was also a haven for the movement of people, providing the food and water all visit to Montezuma Castle National form of scratched designs and pictographs up to life needs for survival. Monument, , and Tuzigoot 9,000 years ago. The farmed and traded The national monuments of the Verde Valley­—Montezuma Castle, National Monument provokes many here successfully from around 600 to 1425. More Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot—protect and interpret the legacy of A questions. Why did prehistoric Native Americans recently, the and have thrived by the Sinagua culture, Native people who flourished here for centuries, choose to live here? Where did they go? And, hunting and gathering. The Verde Valley may look long before Columbus claimed to have discovered this New World. perhaps most importantly, how did they live in this like a desert, harsh and impossible to live in, but to Montezuma Castle has been described as the best preserved and land of seemingly harsh contrasts: hot and arid in those who know how, it is a proverbial breadbasket most dramatic dwelling in the . Montezuma Well is the summer, cool in the winter? of bounty. a natural limestone sinkhole with prehistoric sites and several animal species found nowhere else in the world. Tuzigoot is the remains of a Humankind has lived here for thousands of Echoes is your guide to the National 110-room perched on a high ridge with a panoramic view of years. Early Archaic peoples left their mark in the Monuments of the Verde Valley, as well as Native the Verde River and surrounding marshlands. American cultures who lived here. There is much Although many of today’s visitors marvel at the well-preserved CONTENTS to explore. Throughout and between Camp Verde, Sinagua dwellings, remember to allow some time to experience the General Information 2 Rimrock, Clarkdale, and Sedona, you will find oasis of the riparian area as it supports a wide variety of fauna and Valley of the Sinagua 3 Montezuma Castle 4 echoes from the past, resonating from places and flora. As the seasons change, we invite you to ENJOY! Montezuma Well 5 people whose roots reach far beyond history. As Chief Seattle provided, “take only memories, and leave nothing Tuzigoot and Tavasci Marsh 6 but footprints.” We look forward to your next visit! Science and Nature at the Monuments 8 By Case Griffing Other Places in the Verde Valley 10 National Park Service — Dorothy FireCloud, Superintendent Frequently Asked Questions 11 National Parks Association 12 GENERAL INFORMATION Protect your Monuments Ranger Programs National Park Service • The arid desert landscape is very • Ranger programs are offered at least U.S. Department of the Interior fragile, and wildfires are a real danger. twice daily at Montezuma Castle and Smoking is permitted in designated as staffing allows at both Tuzigoot and areas only. Montezuma Well. These programs range Montezuma Castle & Tuzigoot National Monuments • All the monuments are protecting in length from 20 minutes to an hour archeological sites, as well as natural and cover topics including archeology, Superintendent resources. It is against the law to Sinagua culture, and the and Dorothy FireCloud tamper with, deface or remove any biology of the Verde Valley. Ask a artifact, , , or other natural ranger or docent at the visitor center Mailing Address Website feature of the park. for program times and locations. P.O. Box 219 www.nps.gov/moca • Hiking off the trails can damage the • Education programs and classroom soil crust—a living groundcover of presentation are available to local and Camp Verde, AZ 86322 www.nps.gov/tuzi , , and other organisms. visiting school groups. Call Ranger • Off- parking or driving is Case Griffing at (928) 567-3322 x230, Park Headquarters Email prohibited. or e-mail ([email protected]) for ph: (928) 567-5276 [email protected] • Please help with trash removal and use more information and scheduling. fax: (928) 567-3597 the waste receptacles. We have an active recycling program for aluminum Accessibility cans and plastic bottles, with Montezuma Castle Montezuma Well Tuzigoot • The national parks and monuments are designated brown receptacles. 2800 Montezuma Castle Rd. 5525 Creek Rd. 25 W. Tuzigoot Rd. areas of great beauty and significance, • Camping is prohibited in all areas of set aside for all to enjoy. Ask a ranger Camp Verde, AZ 86322 Rimrock, AZ 86335 Clarkdale, AZ 86324 the monuments. if there are any questions or concerns (928) 567-3322 (928) 567-4521 (928) 634-5564 • Bicycles, skateboards, and any about accessibility. Audio cassettes motorized vehicle other than and text in Braille are available. wheelchairs are not permitted on the Hours of Operation (Closed Christmas Day) More details about trails and visitor trails. Year-Round: Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. centers are available under individual • Gas stoves are permitted only at the monument descriptions. Montezuma Well picnic area. No ash- producing fires are allowed in the monuments. Volunteers • Our volunteers are priceless! The Park Entrance Fees and Passes National Park Service’s Volunteers- Protect Yourself In-Parks program gives the public an • Remember to drink lots of water, use Daily Entrance Fees for Montezuma Castle or Tuzigoot: opportunity to share knowledge and sunscreen, and wear a hat! If you feel experience. Call (928) 567-3322 x230. $5 per adult (16 & over) Children FREE (under 16) thirsty, you are already on the way to being dehydrated. Be prepared with appropriate footwear and clothing for Interagency Annual Pass: $80 “Echoes” is provided by: temperatures that can exceed 100°F Grants access to all federal fee areas in the Montezuma Castle National Monument (38°C) in the summer and fall below U.S. (with some exceptions), including all and Tuzigoot National Monument freezing in the winter. national parks and monuments, for twelve P.O. Box 219, Camp Verde, AZ 86322 • Please stay on the trails. months from date of purchase. live here, though they are rarely seen. Editor: Case Griffing Interagency Senior Pass: $10 • Handrails are there for your safety; Design & Production: Amanda Summers A one-time fee grants access to all federal please do not go past them. Rock Design, Case Griffing, Anne Worthington, fee areas in the U.S. (with some exceptions). surfaces can be slippery; please stay Joshua Boles, and Paul Ollig For U.S. citizens or permanent residents 62 away from any cliff edge. years of age or older. • Pets on a short leash are allowed on Contributors and Advisors: Dorothy the trails but must be carried into FireCloud, Kathy Davis, Sherry Wood, Ed Interagency Military Pass: FREE visitor centers. Do not leave pets in a Cummins, Karen Hughes, John Reid, Rex Grants access to all federal fee areas in the vehicle during warm weather. Please Vanderford, Jon Fistler, Skip Larson, Penny United States (with some exceptions) for clean up after your pet. Wagner, Anne Worthington, Ryeon Corsi, active duty U.S. military personnel and their Ryan Isaac, Deb DeCovis, Sharon Kim, dependents. Matt Guebard, Melissa Philibeck, and Dennis Casper Interagency Access Pass: FREE Grants access to all federal fee areas in the Masthead art © 2004 U.S. (with some exceptions) for permanently Montezuma Castle National Monument disabled U.S. citizens or permanent residents. VALLEY OF THE SINAGUA Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot aren’t just for grown-ups. A long time ago, Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot are just three neighborhoods in kids lived here, too! a valley filled with over forty major prehistoric —and dozens of smaller sites. Kids The monuments of the Verde Valley are three, but more than forty major pueblos on Corner spectacular. Montezuma Castle has been the landscape. Look for the orange Kids called the best preserved example of Native The culture we call Sinagua existed here American architecture in the Southwest. for more than 800 years. That’s more than Corner boxes throughout this Tuzigoot is so exemplary of its time period three times longer than the United States newspaper to learn what it that its era is known as the Tuzigoot Phase of has been a country! Over that period every might have been like to be a the Sinagua culture. To this day, Montezuma hill, every basin, every marsh, stream, and Well has ceremonial importance to at least peak, must have become the site of a home, kid here a thousand years ago. four modern tribes. encampment, or some important event. But these sites are just three pieces of a The Verde Valley is filled with ancient Also, don’t forget to ask a much larger, fuller picture. From 600 to 1425 history. Spend some time here, and you will CE, the Verde Valley was home to 6,000–8,000 discover ancient buildings at the ends of trails, park ranger for a free Junior people. Early on, they began with dozens of rock walls filled with a thousand , Ranger activity book. Finish the scattered, one- and two-room buildings,. and a silent story at every turn. activities and earn an honorary These were sometimes clustered into small groupings called hamlets. By the time the By Case Griffing Junior Ranger badge! Sinagua left this valley, they had built not just National Park Service Visit with Respect “Where the people stopped and built their homes are all sacred places.” Zuni tribal member

any first-time visitors to At each site, please ask about and the Southwest get their first observe the rules for entering or not entering Mintroduction to Native American structures. If you find pottery, stone points, prehistory and culture at Montezuma Castle or other artifacts, leave them exactly as they and the Verde Valley, as they drive north are—they belong to the people who left them from Phoenix on their way to Sedona and there. And if you observe someone removing the Grand . artifacts or harming a site, please report it It can feel overwhelming to stand before immediately to a park ranger or other law a structure that was built and occupied 700– enforcement officer. 1000 years ago. At Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki, the By Case Griffing and beyond, one can visit and National Park Service explore places where entire generations were born, lived, farmed, ate, laughed, and slept. When visiting Native American sites of the Southwest, please remember that these are not just vacation destinations. Some may be national monuments, national parks, and national heritage sites, but they are also locations of great importance and reverence to the descendants of those who lived in them. Even today, after all this time, these places are sacred.

Several Southern Sinagua sites are open for visitors to explore. Ask a park ranger for more information about Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot. To learn more about , Palatki, and V-Bar-V, contact the U.S. Forest Service at (928) 282-3854. MONTEZUMA CASTLE

Do you have chores at home? They did not Echoes of life Inside Montezuma Castle Montezuma Castle is just one building of what was once a there are hundreds of small disappear thriving, successful neighborhood. handprints all over the wall, The people of Montezuma where people who lived there Castle and the Verde Valley s you walk the path toward Men may have been responsible for put up plaster to make their Montezuma Castle, you will likely weaving. The cotton they grew was turned home look nice and protect the still live nearby today. Ahear the voices and laughter of other into some of the finest cloth in the entire visitors. These sounds of life are not all that Southwest, and fibers became sandals stonework.Kids Because the prints or decades, national park rangers different from those that echoed from these and mats. Other individuals made jewelry. are so small, archeologists think mistakenly told visitors that the cliffs in prehistoric times. These crafts, along with salt collected from a the job was done by women Fprehistoric people of the Southwest Although Montezuma Castle is the nearby mine, were traded with people from mysteriously disappeared sometime around showpiece of the monument, it is not the other tribes, who arrived here after walking and children! 1400. Places like Montezuma Castle, only building here. Once upon a time, its 20 hundreds of miles along rivers and creeks Tuzigoot, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon and rooms stood alongside more than 65 others from the outlying deserts and high country. Look inside the Montezuma others all thrived for hundreds of years, in Castle A and along the cliffs. Between 85 Corner rangers said, and then the people who lived The women of these communities had and 90 rooms total housed a community of jobs, too. Indeed, it’s possible the entire Castle museum to find a casting there just... vanished! perhaps 150 people. society was matrilineal, with clan lineage of the handprints. How does the Today, we know better, but old stories What might it have been like to live here? traced through female ancestry. They made size of your hand compare? die hard. In fact, the people who lived here The Sinagua left us no diaries, so we may pottery used for storing food. Probably, simply moved. never know for sure, but we can speculate. they layered plaster on the walls, sealing out Around the late 1300s, big changes began As the day begins, a family shares a single insects and protecting the masonry. to happen in the societal structure of the room. It is probably dark, even if the sun is It is not difficult to imagine the sounds of This cutaway diagram shows how Southwest. Archeologists are still trying to up—doors and windows are small to keep children in these homes, either, born in the the interior of the Castle was understand the details, but we do know that constructed. heat inside during the chilly desert night. The small rooms and growing up beside the cliff population centers began to shift. fire has burned down to embers in its tiny, walls. As they prepared to enter adolescence, At Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, circular depression in the floor. There is little they may have been inducted into the Tuzigoot, and other Sinagua villages in the furniture: mats and blankets for sleeping, clans of their families, helping define their Verde Valley, people left in small groups— clay pots for storage, and supplies for work, responsibilities within society. perhaps just a couple of families or part of crafts, and daily living. As each day ended, maybe there was a clan at a time. There was no single date on A day’s tasks probably depended on music. They undoubtedly looked up at the which everyone left en masse, nor did they gender, clan, age, and station. Some people same stars we gaze at today, observing the all go the same direction. Eventually, though, were responsible for farming. The land progression of their own constellations with many joined together to become the modern where the trail is today was once occupied by the turning of each season. Fires lit inside and Zuni tribes. stalks of corn, vines of beans and squash, and kept the rooms warm for another night, their Others stayed behind but turned to bushes bursting with cotton. Beaver Creek, glow filling the small windows and doors hunting and gathering rather than farming. just a short walk from the base of the cliffs, overlooking the darkened fields. They became the ancestors of today’s provided water year-round. Yavapai people. This more mobile way of living, based on following the movements of Right: A view of one wild game, also meant leaving the stone and of two entryways to mortar villages. Montezuma Castle. By 1425, Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot Residents may have and other villages throughout the valley were entered through the door, no longer occupied. However, the people did then used ladders to not disappear. Their descendants still live go from room to room. nearby, and they still return periodically to Montezuma Castle is noted these villages built by the people of long ago. for its “T-shaped” door. However, archeologists are unsure whether the door By Case Griffing is original or was changed National Park Service later. The style is favored by Ancestral Puebloan people in the area but not found in central Arizona. Montezuma Well Point of Origin Montezuma Well is an oasis in the desert, a habitat for five species that live nowhere else on earth, and the place of emergence for local Native American peoples. ontezuma Well is one of the which look like tiny shrimp, provide the basis sink once more. The amphipods return to For many tribes, Montezuma Well is still hidden jewels of the Verde Valley. of the Well’s food chain. Every morning, they the relative safety of deeper waters, starting a place of great power, even today. The Hopi MOften missed by visitors unaware sink beneath the water’s surface—but not the daily cycle all over again. tell us that their ancestors built the Well’s of its beauty, it is one of the most unique too deep! A little further down, predatory Humans have long lived at the Well, too. pueblos. Yavapai and Apache histories say places in the world—and it’s free. leeches are lurking, hiding from the baking After all, there are 15 million gallons of water that this is where their people entered this Until 2011, no one was sure where the rays of Arizona’s sun. (57 million liters) here—in the middle of a world—their own point of origin. Well’s water came from. Every day, more As night falls, the leeches rise, forcing desert! The earliest dwellings excavated here than 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million liters)of the amphipods to flee toward the surface. date back to approximately 1050, around the By Case Griffing water spring from two powerful vents over But there, water and other insects same time that early occupants channeled National Park Service 120 feet (36.6 meters) beneath the surface. are waiting for an amphipod feast of their Montezuma Well’s water into an irrigation This water fell as rain atop the nearby own. Sneaking into the pondweed lining the canal for their farms. The monument and Mogollon Rim between 10,000 and 13,000 Well’s edge, the amphipods sit as still as they its neighbors still use that same canal today. years ago. It has slowly percolated down can through the night, hoping not to attract Cliff dwellings and collapsed pueblos line the through hundreds of yards of rock, then attention from their many predators. The Well’s rims, overlooking the ancient lake on seeped through porous next morning, when the sun finally peeks one side and the shady, riparian paradise of until reaching the Well. Once here, an above the horizon, the leeches are forced to Wet Beaver Creek on the other. impenetrable wall of volcanic rock forces the water back to the surface where we see it today after more than ten millennia. The science of how the water got here may or may not be as impressive as the life that has evolved in it since. Because of the limestone the water had to flow through, it is saturated with carbon dioxide. There is so much carbon dioxide, in fact, that fish can’t breathe here. There are no fish in the Well! Instead, Montezuma Well is home to five species of life that live nowhere else on planet Earth—a water , an amphipod, a leech, a snail, and a diatom. Though it may look peaceful from the rim, there’s a lot of drama happening beneath the water’s surface. Amphipods, TUZIGOOT

Dawn comes easily to the world, touching upon the How do you say Tuzigoot? mountain ridges and then illuminating down into the valleys. As the light comes to this hill above the river, the uzigoot isn’t as hard to say as to a major bend in the nearby it looks. Most rangers just say: Verde River. old walls reflect again a memory of life uncovered from T TOO-zee-goot We don’t know what Tuzigoot’s time’s . original occupants called this The name comes from the village. However, some of their Western Apache who pronounce modern descendants among the it TOO see-WHOODT, meaning Hopi call it Tsor’ovi—the Place “crooked water.” It is a reference of the Bluebird.

Tavasci Marsh: ? Relic of an Ancient World uzigoot National Monument T overlooks Tavasci Marsh, a natural riparian area surrounding an old meander of the Verde River. This ancient world would have been familiar to the Sinagua, who used water from the marsh and the rcheologists with a Civil Works chain of choices and survival threading Administration crew excavated through the generations that lived here. Verde River to irrigate their Aand stabilized the ancestral village How big was the world they called their crops. Today, Tavasci Marsh now known as Tuzigoot in 1933 and built a own? By the stories of people and artifacts, has been designated an museum to hold its material story in 1935. we know the Sinagua traded for shells from Audubon Society Important Our present understanding is of hunters the coast and macaws from the south. Birding Area for the number and passing through this abundant valley perhaps Where did they go? Depending on our 10,000 years ago, followed before 1100 C.E. use of the language, “vanished” may come diversity of biological species that by farming peoples who built their way of life to mean they moved on to other resources inhabit the area. on the available resources of land and water. and other promised lands. The Hopi people Although the last word is yet to be written of today tell, in their clan stories, of living on the goings and comings of these people, in places like this before migrating to their we know from our scientific inquiries some present northern mesas. clues about the climate of the times. Rainfall Why did they leave? Perhaps resources is sometimes marginal; the crops may have became too few and politics too much—or depleted the soil nutrients after years of perhaps the Promised Land lay just beyond planting. the horizon. By the time the people of Tuzigoot left Enjoy your visit to Tuzigoot, and look past the region around 1400 C.E., the citadel had the ruins to a time when the best world was housed perhaps 250 people in its 110 rooms. on top of a hill made golden by dawn’s light. It was the city of its day, where people learned to resolve the problems of living life together. And though with more people came more By John Reid problems, there were also more of the same National Park Service people to find solutions. There is a creative Today’s Inhabitants

The ancient places of Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well, and Tuzigoot may appear uninhabited at first glance— but they’re not. Keep an eye out for these animals who live here today. Check off the ones you find.

Pinacate o Watch for one of these black insects to stand o Near Castle A, the loud shrill chirp of a rock on its head if you approach. Also known squirrel alerts other animals of a nearby as stink bugs, they pose this way when predator. Other rock squirrels and cliff disturbed or threatened. chipmunks pause warily from their activities. While you may encounter a cute, furry squirrel begging for a treat, please do not feed them! These seemingly friendly squirrels often bite, and they can carry diseases including the plague. A diet consisiting of native is healthiest for them. Common Raven o While this black bird resembles the American o crow, the raven is much larger. Ravens feed After exiting a den among the limestone on , rodents, , and carrion. cliffs, more gray-furred animals scurry across Cicada o These intelligent birds are the subject of the limestone cliff. A black stripe extends If you visit during the summer, you may hear stories and superstition in nearly every the length of this mammal’s tail. It is a high-pitched buzzing from the trees. That’s culture that encounters them. female gray fox followed by four kits. She is the male cicada singing—and flexing his teaching her young to hunt rodents, lizards, muscles—to attract a mate. and insects. As omnivores, the gray fox also eats mesquite beans and berries. and rough country are ideal for dens and concealment from predators like the great horned owl. These small predators are the only members of the dog family that can climb trees, which they often do in search of bird eggs and nestlings.

Desert Grassland Whiptail o Running among the creosote bushes and Canyon Wren o grass at the Castle is the desert grassland “Tee-tee-tee-tee-tew-tew-tew!” Clear, whiptail. She has 6 or 7 light stripes separated whistled notes descending like a waterfall of There are lots of animals and Hawk o by dark bands and no spots. Desert grassland sound interrupt visitors’ thoughts about the plants that make their homes at These wasps are hard to miss—they whiptails are all females and parthenogenic: Sinagua culture’s lifestyle. While gazing at are jet black and huge! Thankfully, they there is no need to mate in order to Montezuma Castle, Montezuma the Castle, visitors hear these canyon wren are surprisingly docile... unless you’re a reproduce. In fact, here are no males in the calls. Its finely mottled brown body with a Well, and Tuzigoot. tarantula. A female tarantula hawk will sting entire species! these well-known of the Southwest, rust colored rump and tail is conspicuous as but she won’t immediately kill it. Instead, she it flies to its nest inside a rock crevice. There Kids All plants and animals in drags it back to her nest and lays her eggs on it rests on the soft feather-lined nest made of national parks are protected. the . When the wasp larvae hatch, they twigs, leaves, and grasses. eat the tarantula alive! Why do you think it’s important to preserveCorner our wild places? PARK SCIENCE AND OUTREACH

Kids Become Green Rangers Exotic Plant Round-Up National Park Service teams up with local schools and communities to get youth outdoors Quick, name a familiar symbol of the ints of winter rustle the amber ly grown foods, and the prehistoric Sinagua Youth outreach field programs have been a American southwest! leaves that dangle from the trees at allow the children to practice stewardship recent emphasis for the natural resource staff Some imagine wild mustangs in wide, H Montezuma Well. The mid-morning and volunteerism as they learn. Parents at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National open spaces. Others picture the sun-bleached sun melts away last night’s chill just in time Julie and Jay Mills, who brought their two Monuments. In the past year, Outreach cow skulls and crimson sunsets of a Geor- for the first group of children arriving in the sons, express that the program offers them Coordinator DeCovis has engaged over 1,000 gia O’Keeffe painting. Perhaps you think of picnic area. Within ten minutes, expressions support. “We’re trying to raise them to have a students and parents in programs at Beaver a rugged cowboy, or a skeletal tumbleweed of astonishment, bursts of laughter, and the conscience about the planet,” they said. Creek Elementary, Camp Verde High School, bouncing aimlessly over a parched plain. crunching of leaves overcome the murmuring While these lessons about nature will the Central Arizona Boys and Girls Club, Actually, it ought to be said that tumble- irrigation canal and twittering rock wrens. hopefully become valuable, lifelong memories and the Yavapai-Apache Nation. And she has weeds “ain’t from around here.” Did you This time, the kids have spotted the and tools the kids can continue to develop, created programs of her own, like the Green know this long-standing avatar of America’s remains of a crawdad anchored into the side the Green Rangers program hinges on Rangers series. deserts comes from Eurasia? That’s right: of the canal. In the past they have darted learning through hands-on, field experience. Former Superintendent Kathy Davis, the famous tumbleweed is also known as around trees, searched for cicada shells, or Biologist and Outreach Coordinator Deborah reflecting on her own childhood adventures in Russian thistle. When one breaks loose and hunted for the perfect piece of sycamore bark DeCovis stresses the importance of engaging , commented that the Green Rangers bounces across the desert, every brush with for the morning’s mini-boat races. Over the the children in safe, outdoor fun—something program and other outreach ventures are another object jostles loose more seeds—up next two hours, a troop of ten children scour that moves the kids both physically and a “personal growth experience for the kids to 200,000 of them!—spreading this invasive the picnic area for trash, add wood chips to intellectually from the couch. that will hopefully last them a lifetime.” And homesteader far and wide. a new trail, investigate the tracks and scat of As a Student Conservation Association we hope it does—we hope the field lessons Unfortunately, tumbleweed isn’t the only local wildlife, and demonstrate their nature intern for the National Park Service, I have and games we play will sustain these young invasive plant at Montezuma Castle and knowledge in trivia games. These children listened to countless knock-knock jokes and rangers as they navigate twenty-first century Tuzigoot National Monuments. There are carry with them not only the excited energy transformed into a human climbing post. I adolescence, swiftly advancing technologies, also fireweed, cheatgrass, London rocket, that accompanies outdoor explorations, but have become a rabbit, a leech, a wolf, and a and a shrinking natural world. and many others! This posse of plants claim the honor of serving as park-certified Green flower on various Saturdays, all in the name squatters’ rights by spreading and growing Rangers. of environmental education. These outdoor By Ryeon Corsi so quickly that native plants can’t compete Begun in September 2010, the Green lessons seek to engage the whole of a child’s Student Conservation Association and are sometimes pushed right off the land. Rangers program engages youth ages 8–12 universe—the wonder and humor, land and When that happens, the effects can ripple with the local environment by offering free animals, technology and imagination. As throughout the entire ecological community, from plants to plant-eaters, all the way up to sessions to the Verde Valley community twice always, the true values of education cannot be predators like , , and pumas. a month. Lessons on water quality, habitat canned in a textbook, but instead stem from As part of its mission to preserve Ameri- restoration, native flora and fauna, traditional- fluid engagement in the field. ca’s outdoor heritage, the National Park Ser- vice is working to reduce the spread of inva- sive plants and maintain the health of natural The Secret World of Rattlers areas in the parks. During your visit to Mon- tezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monu- NPS and University explore the fascinating lives of rattlesnakes ments, you may see this science in action. In 2010 park biologists and volunteers began es, there are rattlesnakes in the Verde While rattlesnakes can be dangerous, it As a general rule in the desert, remember restoring native grasses and shrubs along the Valley. At Montezuma Castle and is possible to have an enriching encounter to never put your hands, feet, or behind trail at Montezuma Castle. Staff at Montezu- Tuzigoot, many have been the subjects with this iconic symbol of the desert. Here anywhere your eyes have not been first. If you Y ma Well are already in the fifth year of a proj- of a long-term research project conducted are some tips to make your next sighting are ever bitten by a , do not attempt to ect to restore habitat on historic farms along by Dr. Erika Nowak of Northern Arizona memorable for all the right reasons: treat yourself. Many folk remedies do more Wet Beaver Creek. At Tuzigoot biologists are University. By capturing, releasing, and damage than good. Call 911, and go to the developing strategies to control fireweed tracking individual snakes for nearly two • Treat the snake with respect. Do not throw hospital immediately. around the perimeter of Tavasci marsh. decades, Dr. Nowak’s study has furthered our rocks or poke it with a stick. Finally, if you find a on park Invasive exotic plants represent one of the understanding of these secretive and amazing • Give it some space. About six feet (two trails, note its location and report the sighting most significant threats to natural resources creatures. meters) is the minimum for safety. to a ranger as soon as possible. Rangers are in national parks. However, the science you It’s unlikely, but one may see a rattlesnake • If a snake wants to retreat, don’t chase it. trained to capture and relocate rattlesnakes see today helps us gather new information, here any time of year. A valuable component • If you hear a rattle but do not see the snake, in a way that is safe for them and the public. detect and control the invasive plants, and of the southwestern environment, they play a do not back up. Turn around and calmly develop long-term policies to send these bad vital role in controlling rodent populations. walk forward in the direction from which guys into the sunset. Their venom is primarily for killing and you came. You don’t want to trip and fall By Ryan Isaac digesting prey, so they are not eager to bite on a rattlesnake because you couldn’t see National Park Service By Case Griffing people. They avoid predators, including us, where you were going. National Park Service using camouflage—if the snake can evade • Always photograph and observe detection, it can save its venom for hunting. rattlesnakes from a safe distance. Desert Plants are Foundations of Life

The people of the Verde Valley have lived close to the land for over 10,000 years, from the earliest Paleo-Indians to the farming Sinagua to the hunter-gatherer Yavapai and Apache. These plants provided food, medicine, and more.

Creosote Bush o Four-Winged Saltbush o Some creosote plants are believed to be Another plant that is being explored today more than 11,000 years old! Humans have as a treatment for diabetes, Native groups used creosote for a variety of ailments— used various parts of the plants. A poultice of so many, in fact, that the species has been fresh or dried flowers was used for ant bites. nicknamed the pharmacy of the desert. The seeds were eaten as food, and the plant’s It has antibacterial, antifungal, and anti- ashes were used in place of baking soda. If inflammatory properties and has been used you look closely at the plant’s seeds, you’ll to treat everything from foot odor and bad see where it gets its name—four, paper-like breath to colds, kidney stones, asthma, and wings extending from a central pod. diabetes. Its pitch was also used by Native poeple, as a water-tight sealant for baskets. Soaptree Yucca o When boiled, the roots of this tall plant Cattail “What’s That Tree With the create suds and can be used as soap. o You might not expect to find this water- However, the soaptree had other uses, as loving plant in Arizona, but it thrives well. The blossoms and stems were used for White Bark?” at Tavasci Marsh! Tribes affiliated with food, while different groups used the stiff, Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot still return fibrous leaves for making rope and basketry. The Arizona Sycamore is a Highlight of Any Visit here to collect its pollen for ceremonial uses. hostly white trunks and spreading, gnarled branches rise in stark contrast to the vivid hues of green along the riparian, or streamside, areas of the Verde Valley. The Arizona Sycamore, often reaching heights of 80 feet (24 m), is one of the Banana Yucca o G The sword-like leaves of this species are most distinctive sights at Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well. This member of the much stiffer than those in the Soaptree Yucca plane tree family once blanketed Arizona, 63 million years ago when the climate was cool above. However, like that plant, the spines and moist. As the weather became drier, these deciduous trees retreated to areas close to can be turned into strong cordage. In late permanent water, such as the perennial riverways and canyon bottoms that bisect the state. spring, its flowers turn into banana-shaped Some amazing adaptations help the Arizona Sycamore survive from seedling to old age, fruits. These could be eaten raw or mashed at least 200 years. Each fruit pod contains an average of 667 seeds with a protective coating into a pulp, formed into cakes, and stored for designed to withstand seasonal flooding, torrents of water that reshape the land and move later consumption. huge masses of rocks, earth, and debris. The roots of the young plant must be able to penetrate the rock-laden, compacted substrate. If torrential flooding scours the area, the seedlings may be left literally high and dry, with roots that have to remain in moist soil to thrive. Once established, the trees help protect against , capturing precious topsoil for other plant life. The sycamore hosts a myriad of species native to Arizona. Large, palm-shaped leaves Where do you go when you get protect and shelter the many small birds using the waterways as a migration corridor. sick? First, you probably tell a Woodpeckers and other burrowing animals nest in its spreading branches, and insects go grown-up. They take you to the through various life stages as they become sustenance for even more creatures. In the hot, dry summer months, sycamores offer shade and relief to all life along the banks. doctor, and then it’s off to the store for medicine. eople in the Verde Valley have used the soft wood of the Arizona Sycamore for thousands of years. The ancient Sinagua used these trees for many of the support Sometimes kids who lived here Pbeams still visible in Montezuma Castle. Some of these beams, which were hoisted 80 feet above the valley floor, are estimated to weigh over two tons! got sick,Kids too. Just like you, adults Montezuma Castle National Monument is one of the best locations to view Arizona took their children to someone Sycamore in its natural state. Sadly, over 90 percent of Arizona’s riparian areas, habitat who knew about medicine. But necessary for the survival of these glorious trees, have been lost to development or are not accessible to the general public. here, they couldn’t buy it at the Montezuma Well features a large, curved sycamore along the Outlet Trail, unchanged store. Instead, medicine came since it was photographed in the 1870s. This tree stands as a relic of the distant past and fromCorner plants! Which do you think continues to inspire awe in visitors today. tastes better—creosote or By Anne Worthington cough syrup? National Park Service Yavapai-Apache Local Friends & Partners Nation Yavapai-Apache Tourism Department Arizona State Parks Arizona Game and Fish Information on activities through the Yavapai- Website for all Arizona State Parks: A nature preserve and environmental education Apache Nation. www.azstateparks.com center just a few miles south of Sedona. The Page Springs Hatchery address: 353 West Middle Verde Road, picnic area and classrooms may be reserved for Arizona’s largest fish hatchery. A self- Camp Verde, AZ 86322 public or private functions. Designated hiking guided tour takes visitors through the main phone: (928) 567-1004 Dead Horse Ranch State Park trails are available, but there is no swimming, hatchery where rainbow and brown trout are web: www.yavapai-apache.org Located on the Verde River near Cottonwood. wading, or camping. Pets are not allowed in raised to be released in waters throughout An excellent place for bird watching and the park. There are many nature hikes, talks, Arizona. There are two additional nature Chambers of Commerce hiking along the Verde River. Offers picnicking, and programs for children. Call for details. trails, including a walk along Oak Creek. The Camp Verde Chamber of full-facility camping, fishing, horseback riding, hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Page Springs Hatchery is also an Audubon- Commerce and mountain biking. address: 4050 Red Rock Loop Road, Sedona, designated Important Bird Area. Sightings of 385 South Main, Camp Verde, AZ 86322 hours: Ranger Station 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily AZ 86339 bald eagles are common in winter months. (928) 567-9294 address: 675 Dead Horse Ranch Road, admission: $10 per vehicle (1–4 adults) or $3 hours: 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily; closed web: www.visitcampverde.com Cottonwood, AZ 86326 per individual. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day admission: $7 per vehicle (1–4 adults) or $3 per phone: (928) 282-6907 address: 1600 North Page Springs Road, individual. Clarkdale Chamber of Commerce Cornville, AZ 86325 P.O. Box 161, Clarkdale, AZ 86324 phone: (928) 634-5283 admission: no charge (928) 634-9438 phone: (928) 634-4805 web: www.clarkdalechamber.com Jerome State Historic Park Jerome’s modern history began in 1876 when U.S. Cottonwood Chamber of three prospectors staked claims on rich copper Commerce deposits. By the early 20th century, Jerome was Forest Service 1010 South Main, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 home to the largest producing copper mine in (928) 634-7593 . Visitors can tour parts of the web: www.cottonwoodchamberaz.org 1916 James S. Douglas mansion and view Fort Verde State Historic Park General George Crook’s U.S. Army scouts outdoor mining exhibits. A picnic area is and pictograph trail and soldiers were stationed at Fort Verde in Jerome Chamber of Commerce available, and leashed pets are permitted interpreting the prehistoric Sinagua culture. the late 1800s. Several original buildings still P.O. Box K, Jerome, AZ 86331 outside. Call for details. Reservations are required because the exist. Historic military living quarters are open (928) 634-2900 hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed parking lot only has 16 spaces. to visitors and teach about life on the frontier. web: www.jeromechamber.com Christmas Day hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily; closed The museum located in the old headquarters address: 100 Douglas Road, Jerome, AZ 86331 Thanksgiving and Christmas Day buildings displays artifacts explaining the Sedona-Oak Creek Chamber of admission: $5 for ages 14 and up, $2 for ages admission: fee; Red Rock, Interagency Annual, history and methods of frontier soldiering. Commerce 7–13, free for ages 6 and below. Senior, or Access passes accepted. hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thurs–Mon; closed 331 Forest Road, Sedona, AZ 86339 phone: (928) 634-5381 phone: (928) 282-3854 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Christmas (800) 288-7336 address: 125 East Hollamon Street, Camp web: www.sedonachamber.com Verde, AZ 86322 Honanki Heritage Site Cliff dwelling with associated rock art, This park in scenic takes its admission: $5 for ages 14 and up, $2 for ages Historical Societies & 7–13, free for ages 6 and below. interpreting the prehistoric Sinagua culture. name from the 30-foot water slide naturally hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily; closed phone: (928) 567-3275 useums worn into the rocks of the creek bed. There Thanksgiving and Christmas Day M are opportunities for bird watching, fishing, admission: fee; Red Rock, Interagency Annual, Camp Verde Historical Society and hiking, and relaxing along the creek. Pets are Senior, or Access passes accepted. Museum allowed on leash in most areas of the park, phone: (928) 300-8886 phone: (928) 567-9560 but not in the swimming areas. hours: Day use only. Summer hours 8 a.m. to V-V Heritage Site Sedona Historical Society & 7 p.m. No entry permitted after 6 p.m. Rock art site highlighting over 1200 Heritage Museum address: 6871 North Highway 89A, petroglyphs. There is a small visitor center and phone: (928) 282-7038 Sedona, AZ 86336 (in Oak Creek Canyon). gift store. web: www.sedonamuseum.org admission: $20 per vehicle (1–4 adults) hours: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily; open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Friday-Monday; closed Thanksgiving and Otherwise $10 per vehicle (1–4 adults). $3 Clemenceau Heritage Museum Christmas Day per individual. phone: (928) 634-2868 admission: fee; Red Rock, Interagency Annual, web: www.clemenceaumuseum.org phone: (928) 282-3034 Senior, or Access passes accepted. phone: (928) 282-3854 Clarkdale Heritage Museum phone: (928) 649-1198 web: www.clarkdaleheritage.org Burning Questions

Q: When did the Native Americans abandon these places? Montezuma Castle is five stories tall, has 20 rooms, and covers 3,500 A: They didn’t! Though they did square feet (325 m2) of floor space. Its move to other villages by 1425, alcove is about 35 feet (10.7 m) deep. their descendants still come back here. To them, these places are alive and important even after all this time. Q: Who lived at the Castle, the ? Well, and Tuzigoot? Q: Where did they go? A: Archeologists call them the Sinagua culture, but we A: Many people in the Verde don’t know what they called Valley migrated to other places. themselves. They built more They became some of the than 40 pueblos and hamlets ancestors of today’s Hopi and Zuni throughout the Verde Valley. people. A few stayed and lived as hunters and gatherers. Their ? descendants are today’s Yavapai. Q: How did people get into Montezuma Castle? ? A: They used ladders, just like park rangers do today. While ours are Montezuma Well contains enough water to fill 20 Olympic-sized swimming made of aluminum, they made pools. It is more than 55 feet (16.75 m) theirs with wood and tied them from the surface to the false bottom— together with yucca fiber. and an unknown distance from there to ? the real bottom.

Q: How old are these buildings? Q: Is it worth five dollars?

A: The oldest rooms at Tuzigoot A: We think so! These monuments had been started by 1000 CE. and their stories are part of our Montezuma Castle was probably national identity. Montezuma started in the 1100s. The last Castle and Tuzigoot represent occupants of these pueblos had some of the best examples of moved away by 1425. Native American architecture anywhere in the Southwest. Tuzigoot is made up of 110 rooms. Before the Great Depression, the ? Your investment helps maintain collapsed pueblo was covered in debris. Local men and women in need of work were hired to excavate the rooms and clean the artifacts, trails, create exhibits, educate many of which are on display in the museum there today. school groups, and complete many important? projects! 50 Common Birds Cultures of the Southwest Richard Cunningham of the An easy reference to the more commonly Southwest seen bird species of the American Southwest. 64 pages. $9.95 Those who Came Before: Southwestern 70 Common Cacti of the Southwest Pierre Fisher Archeology in the This perennial best-seller describes and estern National Parks Association was Montezuma Castle National Park System depicts 70 common cacti species of the Robert and Florence Lister Wfounded in 1938 to aid and promote National Monument southwestern deserts. 80 pages. $9.95 This is an excellent and comprehensive the educational and scientific activities of Susan Lamb overview of southwestern archeological sites the National Park Service. As a nonprofit This book presents an overview of the early in the National Park System. 184 pages. Book Roadside organization authorized by Congress, we human history at Montezuma Castle National $16.95, Book with DVD $24.95 operate visitor center bookstores, produce Monument, Including Montezuma Well. 16 Explains the spectacular geology of Arizona publications, and support educational pages, $4.95. programs at more than 66 parks throughout Nature & Wildlife as seen from a car at specific points along the . highways throughout the state. 321 pages. Tuzigoot National Monument $20.00 Rose Houk Frequently Asked Questions About Bookstore Sales This book presents an overview of the early Bookstore sales are WNPA’s primary source of the Southwest human history at Tuzigoot National Monument. income, and this income is used to support Rose Houk, Janice Bowers, and Michael Rigsby 16 pages. $3.95 Maps and Hikes National Park Service interpretive programs. Each book in this series provides an The following publications, available from introduction and answers basic questions Guide to Indian Country Map WNPA, are recommended for making the Ruins Along The River about plants and animals found in America’s Covers the Four Corners area outlining most of your visit to the Verde Valley national Carle Hodge Southwest deserts. Indian reservations, national parks and monuments in central Arizona. A study of the Sinagua culture in the Verde Hummingbirds—18 pages. $5.95 monuments, and geologic features. $4.95 Valley. Includes Montezuma Castle National Saguaro—18 pages. $5.95 For our full catalog, stop by our visitor Monument, including the Montezuma Well Coyotes—18 pages. $5.95 center bookstore, or browse online at Unit, and Tuzigoot National Monument. Also Bats—19 pages. $6.95 Recreational Map of Arizona mentioned are Fort Verde, Jerome, Sedona, Detailed travel map with more than 400 www.wnpa.org. and the Flagstaff area national monuments. 48 recreational sites and 500 points of interest pages. $3.95 New! listed. $3.95

Sedona Trails Map Montezuma Castle & Comprehensive list of over 60 selected trails Tuzigoot Monuments In Depth highlighting hiking, camping, mountain bike trails, and equestrian trails. Laminated topo map with elevation gains for all trails. $12.00 The People of Montezuma Castle and A Past Preserved in Stone: A History the Verde Valley of Montezuma Castle National Placing Your Order Mary Ontiveros Monument The Sinagua culture thrived in the Verde Josh Protas By Phone: We encourage you to order by phone to get publications best suited to your Valley of Arizona for nearly eight centuries. This An in-depth needs. To place an order, please call (928) 567-3322 x225. book gives readers a closer look at the people administrative who lived there for generations: how they history of By Mail: Add up the total amount of your order plus shipping cost (see table below). Include a check payable to Western National Parks Association, or credit card number and expiration farmed, traded, and constructed the multi- Montezuma date. Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards accepted. Send order to Western National Parks story dwelling explorers named Montezuma Castle National Association, P.O. Box 219, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. Prices and availability subject to change. No Castle. 20 pages. Full color, 6”x9”. $2.00 Monument, including international shipments. Montezuma Shipping Costs New! The Guide to National Parks Well. Contains Item Total Shipping Cost of the Southwest historic Rose Houk photographs. Up to $15.00...... $7.50 This is your personal guide to the Southwest 256 pages. $15.01 to $25.00...... $8.50 and the many opportunities for discovery in its $21.95 $25.01 to $50.00...... $9.50 national parks. 88 pages. $14.95 $50.01 to $100.00...... $10.50 $100.01 and up...... FREE (within the 48 contiguous states)