Yavapai-Apache Nation

Tour prehistoric sites nestled along water sources in Central Arizona’s Verde Valley.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation is filled with remnants of history centered around two major pueblo communities along historic trade routes in the area. The irrigation systems devised by the indigenous people here show the ingenuity and survival skills the area’s first residents had. Today, five small tribal communities in the valley from Camp Verde to Clarkdale honor the ancestors of Arizona’s Yavapai and Apache nations.

Explore Ancestral Pueblos

Just north of Camp Verde with easy access off I-17, Montezuma Castle National Monument preserves a five-story cliff dwelling overlooking Beaver Creek. At nearby Montezuma Well, prehistoric pit houses on a ridge over a limestone sinkhole show other ways original inhabitants adapted to the area. Visitors can then head west to Clarkdale to view the remnants of one of the largest prehistoric villages in central Arizona at Tuzigoot National Monument, which sits atop a hill overlooking the Verde River. Both sites present the stories of indigenous people who farmed and hunted to survive in harsh conditions.

The tribe members are descendants of the Wipukyipai (Yavapai) and Dil zhéé (Tonto Apache) peoples. The Yavapai speak the Yuman dialect and the Apache speak the Athabascan dialect.

Visit Cliff Castle Casino

The Yavapai-Apache Nation operates one of Central Arizona’s most popular gaming destinations. Visitors play some 650 slot machines and try their luck in the sportsbook lounge and at blackjack and poker tables. An outdoor arena offers live entertainment while four restaurants, a 20-lane bowling alley and an arcade make this casino more family-friendly than most. Stay the night in the glitzy resort tower attached to the casino or at the more laidback lodge down the hill. The nearby Distant Drums RV Resort offers a scenic outdoor option for visitors driving their accommodations. “Cliff Castle” pays homage to the magnificent Montezuma Castle notched into a cliff just north of the nation’s casino and hotel.

Tour the Verde Valley

While in the area, take time to visit attractions throughout the Verde Valley. History fans enjoy Fort Verde State Historic Park in Camp Verde as well as the captured-in-time mining town of Jerome. Old Town Cottonwood’s historic main street became a popular visitor destination when tasting rooms, eateries and shops sprang up around Arizona’s wine boom. To the north, the red rock country of Sedona features spectacular resorts, scenic outdoor adventures and an art scene that could take days to take in.