Scottsdale has a history that goes far deeper than the Old West. Long before cowboys rode these trails, Native American tribes carved out a way of life, adapting to the seasons and diverse terrain. They lived lightly on the land first as hunters and gatherers, and later developed agricultural traditions. What they left behind reveal clues are keys to the past. Prehistoric dwellings, artwork etched into rocks, relics, and artifacts – these tell the stories that shaped Arizona.
Ancient remnants can be found in Scottsdale, like the bowl-shaped metates used for grinding mesquite pods found at Cathedral Rock in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Yet many more examples can be explored with easy day trips. Here is where to find some of the most vivid Native American rock art and ruins.
Tonto National Monument
Overlooking Roosevelt Lake, Tonto National Monument showcases two distinctive Salado cliff dwellings. Built in natural caves on the flanks of the Superstition Mountains, the structures date back more than 700 years. The Salado people were known for their artistic flair, producing exquisite pottery and intricate textiles. Artifacts from the site are on display in the visitor center. The Lower Cliff Dwelling is open year-round. The larger Upper Cliff Dwelling can be visited only by guided tours November through April.
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
A four-story structure towers over the irrigated farm fields of the Gila River just like it did 700 years ago when first constructed. This is the centerpiece of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Built without the aid of metal tools, draft animals, or blueprints – built from the very desert soil itself – Casa Grande is an engineering marvel of Hohokam culture. It became the nation’s first federally protected archaeological site in 1892. Along with other remnants of this ancient settlement, the monument maintains an excellent museum filled with artifacts.
Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site
The Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site contains one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in Arizona. More than 1,000 petroglyphs are carved into the cliff face on what was once the V-Bar-V Ranch spread along Beaver Creek in the Verde Valley. Visitors travel to this quiet place to listen to distant echoes of the Southern Sinagua people. From the visitor center it’s a short easy walk back to the site, where a docent points out individual figures and clustered carvings, discussing their significance.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Montezuma Castle National Monument protects one of the best-preserved ancient dwellings in the Southwest. Tucked in an alcove, 100 feet above the Beaver Creek floodplain, the 20-room “castle” is the very definition of a cliff dwelling, a jaw-dropping sight. When discovered by the first Anglo settlers, it was thought to be the work of Aztec emperor, Montezuma. Yet it was built by the Sinagua people during the 13th century. A paved walking path loops beneath a canopy of sycamore and cottonwood trees on the land they once farmed.
Tuzigoot National Monument
The Sinagua were also responsible for the village built of river rock, crowning a hill above the Verde River now known as Tuzigoot National Monument. A resourceful people, the Sinagua used the material available and adapted to the natural setting. They preferred high ground for their dwellings near sources of water, on hilltops or cliffs. This may have been to preserve valuable farmland, or it may have been a defensive position, or simply because—just as we would today—they enjoyed the views.
Last, but certainly not least, the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve is a museum and easily accessed archeological site. A quarter-mile interpretive trail leads to a jumble of boulders where ancient people etched hundreds of symbols. Interpretive signs offer additional insights, and a small museum contains some fascinating exhibits on the various cultures across the region.
