Editor Pick
Montezuma Well
- January 12, 2003
- Rated 4 of 5 by
mag&dick from SCOTTSDALE, Arizona
Montezuma Well is one of the coolest and most peaceful places I've ever been. It is off I-17, near Jerome and Sedona. The well is a perfectly round pool of water that is fed but they can't really find the source of it! The Sinagua Indians thought this would be a neat place to live, because cliffs surround the well, and they could build their dwellings into the cliff walls, which would protect them from attack. They could farm the land at the top of the cliffs, and get water from the well. Perfect!
The ruins of the Indian dwellings can still be seen, but now you can't go in them because there have been too many hands touching them over the years. However, you can walk down a trail that takes you from the top of the cliffs down to the Verde River, and brings you alongside the river at the base of the well. It is very shady and cool here, and there is an almost mystical feeling. For some reason you just feel like you should be very quiet when you are in this place.
The walk down to the river is not long, but coming back it is steep. So if you have trouble walking, just stay at the top and marvel at both the natural miracle of the well, and the ingenuity of the Indians. Around 1100, the Sinaguas disappeared from the area, and it is still not known why. But you can imagine what a wonderful and peaceful place this would have been to live. The Well is usually not as crowded as nearby Montezuma Castle, but we actually like it better. There is no charge for admission to this amazing place, but you can leave a donation on your way out.
From journal Jerome, Arizona, a Town Reborn