Montezuma Castle National Monument

This Native American cliff home, built into a limestone rock wall, is one of the most remarkable of its kind near Phoenix. The five-story-tall residence is set a good hundred feet above the canyon bottom and is divided into twenty rooms that may be explored in person.

It's also really simple to get to. The location is just off Interstate 17, roughly 1.5 hours north of downtown Phoenix. There is a tourist center and a picnic area with huge trees that give lots of shade near the monument. This location looks out over a little lake that is a sinkhole fed by an underground spring. A lovely walking track surrounds the monument. A visit to Montezuma Castle National Monument might be combined with a visit to neighboring Sedona.