When we were in Arizona, we had so much fun visiting places like Out of Africa Park, the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and more. We stayed at the Verde Valley Thousand Trails Campground and loved it there. One of the places we went to that the kids still talk about is the Tuzigoot National Monument.
It is located about 25 mins from the Verde Valley campground, and about 10 mins from Cottonwood Arizona. It is north of Cottonwood, close to Pecks Lake. Here is the map below:
The drive there is beautiful and we loved driving down the main street. It really took us back to an older time. I would love to go back and explore all the shops and spend time walking around. You will be able to see the monument from the road, and it looks so cool. You can see a picture below so you know what to expect.
About Tuzigoot National Monument
Water flows under and through this landscape, feeding the growth of people and towns. The Verde Valley is watered by snowmelt, summer monsoons, and springs that well up from the ancient sedimentary rocks. In the heart of the valley, a thousand years ago, people began to build a little hilltop pueblo that would grow into one of the largest villages in the area.
https://www.nps.gov/tuzi/index.htm
We had a lot of fun exploring the visitors center and learning more about the Sinagua people and Pueblo at Tuzigoot. There is so much history here and it is incredible and fascinating. The pueblo is a 1,000-year-old 110 room structure. You can walk around, climb the ladders and really get into the spaces where they lived. My kids loved learning and exploring here.
We even saw them capture a Rattlesnake which was a lot of fun.
Overall we probably spent about an hour here but I could have spent longer. There are ladders and stairs you can climb to really see around and inside the whole place. It is so neat to see and a great way to show your family how people used to live.
Dogs are allowed on the trail (we took Jake with us) but there are certain restrictions and rules you have to follow.
Other fun places close to here that you can visit:
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park (great for kayaking and fishing)
- Arizona Copper Art Museum
- Out of Africa Park
- Blazin M Ranch
- Walk Historic Old Cottonwood
Visiting the Grand Canyon while you are in the area? Here are a couple of our favorite spots: