Tuzigoot National Monument

Address:Camp Verde, Arizona
Tel: (928) 634-5564

The Tuzigoot National Monument near Cottonwood, Arizona is home to one of the best-preserved Indian ruins in America. The 834-acre Tuzigoot National Monument is the largest of the Sinagua pueblo ruins in the Verde Valley. Today, the Tuzigoot National Monument offers visitors an interpretive trail through the ruins.

Starting in the year 1100, the Sinagua Indians moved into the Verde Valley. As they developed, they built more sophisticated buildings, starting with pit houses and moving up to the communal pueblo seen at the Tuzigoot National Monument, which features a three-story, 110-room structure 120 feet above the Verde River floodplain. By the year 1400, the Sinagua people had abandoned the Verde Valley. The site was declared as the Tuzigoot National Monument in 1939.

Today, visitors to the Tuzigoot National Monument can experience a self-guided walking tour of the ruins and a walk through the museum. The tour consists of a trail leading through the remnants of the pueblo, explaining different parts of Sinaguan society. The museum at the Tuzigoot National Monument contains a collection of the ancient artifacts collected at the site. After their visit to the Tuzigoot National Monument, visitors can find a wide variety of restaurants in nearby Cottonwood.

To get to the Tuzigoot National Monument, take exit 287 from I-17 and follow Highway 260 west to Cottonwood, then get onto Highway 89A to go through Cottonwood toward Clarkdale. Get onto the Historic Highway 89A/Highway 260 through Old Town Cottonwood, then turn onto Tuzigoot Road and follow it to the end.

Visit the Tuzigoot National Monument and appreciate the awe-inspiring remnants of an ancient culture.