Montezuma Well
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A short drive from Montezuma Castle is Montezuma Well, which is part of the Montezuma Castle National Monument. Again, this place has nothing to do with the Aztec leader Montezuma! Instead, it was a source of water for indigenous people who lived there hundreds of years ago.
Montezuma Well is just one exit north on I-17. Unlike Montezuma Castle, the well has no entrance fee. The is a small parking lot and from there is a short path leading to the rim of the well.
At the top we are greeted with a wonderful view of the well below us. To the left are some well preserved ruins in the cliff face. Around the well there are informational signs to give more insight to the area.
From the main viewpoint there is a path leading to another spot on the far side and a path that leads to the nearby creek. This area gives a better view of the ruins above the well. There’s also some small remains of a building.
The well is a limestone sinkhole fed by underground springs at the bottom of the deep pond. These springs push 1.5 million gallons of water into the well every day. The well is at least 55 feet deep, but the “bottom” is shifting, liquidy sand which makes the well truly much deeper than that. Signs at the well state that scientists have tried to send probes into the vents of the springs at the bottom of the well to explore and discover more about this amazing, unlikely water hole in the desert; but anything that goes into those vents simply gets pushed handily back out.
Montezuma Well is also filled with leeches, as another sign informed us. Luckily, we overheard a park ranger saying that those leeches are not interested in humans; they have specialized diets and wouldn’t prey on any humans who set foot in the well. That being said, swimming, fishing, and boating are not allowed in the water!
From the first viewpoint there is a stone path that leads down to water level. Down here, there is shade provided by leafy trees. It’s a little cooler, and provides a new perspective of the pond.
At the end of the path and closer down at water level there are cave dwellings left behind by people who relied on the well for water. Now the cave is home to young bats and visitors are not allowed in. Unfortunately there is also some old graffiti from visitors long ago.
A streamlet drains water out of the well, and that streamlet feeds into a canal that was formed by those people hundreds of years ago. We were not able to walk along the canal, as that trail was closed at the time of our visit. Another sign near the streamlet told us that the water in the well contains arsenic, so it really isn’t good to drink!
Although the ruins are less impressive, Taylor likes Montezuma Well better than the nearby castle. With the ruins in addition to the beauty of the well and the surrounding area makes it a more interesting place to visit. There’s also much less visitors so it’s a bit more peaceful to walk around.
Google Maps Link: Montezuma Well
