Tuzigoot National Monument - Clarksdale, AZ

 Tuzigoot National Monument is a 53-acre site managed by the National Park Service near Clarksdale, Arizona.  The site became protected as a national monument in 1939 and is an example of the culture and housing of the protects and honors the ruins of a Sinagua people from 1125 CE to 140 CE before they moved north and east to what is now part of the Hopi reservation.

This is a fee site for the National Park Service and will require payment on most days.  We were very lucky and happened to hit it on a free park day. Normally the fee is $10 per adult, children under 16 are free.  The fee is good for seven days and will also allow you to enter Montezuma's Castle National Monument.

When you arrive and park in the loop lot you can head up the steps to the visitor center.  The visitor center has some interesting displays about the people who inhabited Tuzigoot and some items that were found when the site was excavated.  There is also a nice gift shop located in the visitors center.  There is beverage fending available outside, but there is no food at this location.  Restrooms are also available at the visitor center.

From the visitor center, you will begin a 0.4-mile loop trail around the ruins.  The trail is fully paved and has a total elevation of 55 feet along the path.  It should be accessible to all including for those in wheelchairs.  Along the trail, there are many interpretive signs for visitors to learn about the structure of the pueblo and what is believed to be know about how it was used.  To see a map of the trail visit www.alltrails.com.

The remaining structure indicates that the pueblo stood 2 -3 stories high and that the upper floors of the pueblo were open to the community at the pueblo.  There is also evidence that there was a central square in the ruins that served as a place for community gatherings and ceremonies to occur.  

The pueblo is located on top of a small butte above the Verde River Valley.  A portion of the land surrounding the site is an old tailing pond from the copper mine in Jerome, AZ.  This area has been restored to some extent and vegetation is now growing.  Tuzigoot translates to "crooked river" which describes the Verde River as it winds it way through the valley below the ruins.

Visiting Tuzigoot takes about 60 minutes to visit, and provides a different style of life from some of the other ruins located in the northern portion of Arizona.