Tuzigoot National Monument

Continuing the Arizona cultural tour around the Coconino National Forest area, my next stop is at Tuzigoot National Monument in Clarkdale. It’s a relatively small National Monument geographically but still worth a visit if history and archaeology interest you.

Tuzigoot National Monument – Entrance sign

For this location escpecially it is crucial to see the visitor center. There are many artifacts including a vast array of pottery, and some great displays detailing the excavation efforts in the 1930’s.

Tuzigoot National Monument – Visitor center artifacts

Tuzigoot National Monument – Visitor center artifacts

Another view of the artifacts including metates (grinding stones), stone tools, arrowheads, and even some arts/toys in the form of small stick horse figures.

Tuzigoot National Monument – Visitor center artifacts

Outside the visitor center it is only a short walk on a completely paved path to the ruins. Construction is said to date back to 1000 CE and shares similar structure with other Sinaguan sites like Montezuma Castle.

Tuzigoot National Monument – View of the pueblo ruins

Up close you can see the walls and remaining foundations. All told there were over 100 rooms in this pueblo when it was abandoned around 1300 CE for unknown reasons.

Tuzigoot National Monument – View of the pueblo ruins

Here’s another view of the inner room walls from atop the structure. Before excavation this entire complex was basically buried in rocks and earth. Many other pueblos existed in the area up & down the Verde River and surrounding waterways – some even larger than this.

Tuzigoot National Monument – View of the pueblo ruins

One thing I found extremely interesting was there are still metates that are sitting openly inside the ruins rather than being brought indoors. Can you imagine someone grinding their grain on this rock in the exact same spot 1,000 years ago?

Tuzigoot National Monument – A metate and mano sitting openly inside the ruins

Here’s another view from the end of the short walking path. Again, it doesn’t look like much but buried under the hill it’s a surprisingly large structure. There is a large room inside that usually would be open but it’s closed right now (in 2019) due to the roof collapsing; check back in the future, maybe it’s open again by now.

Tuzigoot National Monument – View of the pueblo ruins

From this site looking southwest across Hwy 89A you can see the Black Hills mountain range which are part of the Prescott National Forest. Behind me in the other direction is the Coconino National Forest.

Tuzigoot National Monument – View looking southwest to the Black Hills mountains and Prescott National Forest

As it was time to leave I had a pair of White-crowned sparrows checking me out and posing for the camera. Enjoy the warm weather, snowbirds. It’s time for me to keep moving along.

Tuzigoot National Monument – White-crowned sparrows

Hiking Data

Not much “hiking” here, just a short walk on some concrete paths. Including only to show what you can expect by coming here. There are other trails in the area, the closest being some that run directly along the Verde River just outside the park boundary.

GaiaGPS hiking data @ Tuzigoot National Monument

Again, pretty boring statistics. Only about 1/3 mile walking on the path. Likely you will spend more time inside the visitor center than walking outside.

GaiaGPS hiking data @ Tuzigoot National Monument

GaiaGPS hiking data @ Tuzigoot National Monument

Author’s Note: Due to many reasons – none of them very good – I’m posting this from the future in July 2022. Actual visit date/time December 14, 2019 10:54am. I’ll backdate it later so as to maintain chronological order. I’ve got an overwhelming backlog of photos to process which is probably why I procrastinate. Hope you enjoy them all the same.