Officials at Montezuma Castle National Monument issued an alert this week regarding hazardous bee activity in the area. As a result, the National Park Service has closed the Montezuma Well Overlook and Trail until further notice. However, the back end of the trail remains open for access to the secondary Well overlook. The picnic area also remains open to visitation.
According to a staff Facebook post, the “Plants and flowers are affected by the heat and lack of water so much that they are not flowering enough or long enough to produce the pollen bees need for their hive. This increases their stress and causes them to be more alert and defensive of their area.”
More information is at: www.nps.gov/moca/planyourvisit/conditions.