Montezuma Well

A Short walk leads to a natural spring of uncertain origin that has supported life for 1,000 years

Talk about a well-worn path! The short (one-third of a mile) paved trail leading up a little hill and down to the rim of Montezuma Well has been traveled for more than a thousand years - and it only gets more interesting with age. Now part of Montezuma Castle National Monument, the limestone sink was formed centuries ago by the collapse of an immense underground cavern. From AD 900, southern Sinagua Indians built a thriving agricultural community here by channeling the well water to irrigate food and cotton crops; see ruins of the one-room cliff houses where they lived, facing east to be warmed by the sun on winter mornings, across the Well. In the early 1400s, the Sinagua abandoned the homes, food and water supplies; why is anybody's guess. The departing members were absorbed into other groups; no separate Sinagua tribe exists today. The source of the 1.4 million gallons of water that flows from Montezuma Well every day remains a mystery. Researchers from Northern Arizona University report a high level of arsenic - ten times the acceptable amount for human consumption - in the blue-green waters, so no matter how much you're tempted on a hot day, don't drink it. But the Well is teeming with life: over 100 kinds of invertebrate, four of which are found nowhere else. More interesting for hikers, 140 or so bird species have been identified at the site; in warmer months, look for at least 10 species of lizards, along with other abundant wildlife.

DIRECTIONS: Take Hwy 179 south of the "Y" approximately 15 miles to I-17; continue on I-17 South approximately 5.5 miles to Exit 293. Drive through McGuireville, stay on Beaver Creek Rd. for approximately three miles. Turn right into the Montezuma Well entrance. Admission to the Well is free. Hours: Labor Day to Memorial Day: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Memorial Day to Labor Day: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

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