Explore cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and more at southwestern Colorado destination
Mesa Verde National Park is an epic destination in Colorado that seems to be a bit underrated. Skip the crowds at this southwestern attraction.
Author’s Note: In the winter and early spring seasons, Mesa Verde National Park is self-guided only and the cliff dwellings are closed. Check here for updates. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some operations have been altered and some facilities are closed - find more information here.
Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Mesa Verde National Park (flickr)
1. Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado was established in 1906 as an effort to preserve the extensive remains of the Ancestral Puebloans. Nearly 5,000 archeological sites can be found at this Montezuma County destination, including 600 cliff dwellings.
Photo Credit: Mesa Verde National Park (Flickr).
Mesa Verde National Park - Wetherill Mesa (Photo) Credit scgerding (iStock)
2. History: Ancestral Pueblo People of Mesa Verde
A group of Ancestral Puebloans living in the Four Corners region approximately 1,400 years ago chose Mesa Verde for their home. The Ancestral Puebloans lived and thrived in the clay structures for more than 700 years, constructing the elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. In the late A.D. 1200s, in the span of a generation or two, they left their homes and moved away.
Photo Credit: scgerding (iStock).
Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Courtesy of National Park Service
3. Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park
Of the historic stone communities still standing today, Mesa Verde National Park features many cliff dwellings. These structures lie beneath hanging cliffs and used to serve as the homes and villages of the Ancient Puebloan people.
Photo courtesy of Mesa Verde National Park.
Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Ken Lund (flickr)
4. Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde’s cliff dwellings are said to be the best preserved in North America. Today, the largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park is Cliff Palace. It contains 150 rooms and 23 kivas, and once had a population of approximately 100 people. Researchers say Cliff Palace served as a social and administrative site with high ceremonial usage.
Photo Credit: Ken Lund (flickr).
Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Doug Kerr (flickr)
5. Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park
Spruce Tree House is the 3rd-largest cliff dwelling at the park. It features 130 rooms and eight kivas. This dwelling was built into an alcove that measures 216-feet-wide and 89-feet-deep. In the alcove, there’s a natural sandstone arch above the structures in which significant rockfall risks were discovered in 2015. The Spruce Tree House has been closed since, but visitors can view it from near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum year-round.
Photo Credit: Doug Kerr (flickr).
Sun Temple at Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Nick Amoscato (flickr)
6. Mesa-top Sites
The National Park also features several mesa-top sites, including the notable site Sun Temple, where an eroded stone basin with three small indentations were built. Rangers think this feature may have served as a sundial to mark the change of seasons. Overall, the Sun Temple is of extraordinary size, reflecting the amount of work put into building it centuries ago. According to today’s Pueblo Indians, the site is classified as a ceremonial structure.
Photo Credit: Nick Amoscato (flickr).
Mesa Top Loop Road at Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Ken Lund (flickr)
7. Tour through time via Mesa Top Loop Road
Experience 700 years of Mesa Verde history from the comfort of a car along the Mesa Top Loop Road. The 6-mile drive visits 12 archaeological sites and is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset.
Photo Credit: Ken Lund (flickr).
Sun Point at Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Don Graham (flickr)
8. Sun Point Overlook
An all-in-one viewpoint over Mesa Verde National Park’s cliff dwellings and more can be found at the Sun Point Overlook. Views here include scenes of Cliff Palace and 11 more dwellings. Because the hikes and guided tours into the cliff dwellings are considered strenuous, the Sun Point Overlook is one of the best viewpoints to see several dwellings without the workout.
Photo Credit: Don Graham (flickr).
Petroglyphs at Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit Adam Baker (flickr)
9. Petroglyphs
Mesa Verde National Park is also a popular place to see petroglyphs. One site is the Step House, which is accessible via a 100-foot descent and ascent along a winding path to see the petroglyphs, a cliff dwelling, and a pithouse. The path is 1-mile round trip and begins near the Wetherill Mesa Kiosk.
Another area to see petroglyphs at the park is the Pipe Shrine House at the Far View Sites complex. The rugged Petroglyph Point Trail offers views of Spruce and Navajo Canyons and takes hikers to a large petroglyph panel about 1.4 miles from the trailhead.
Photo Credit: Adam Baker (flickr).
Coyote Village on Chapin Mesa, Mesa Verde National Park (Photo) Credit lightphoto (iStock)
10. Winter Activities at Mesa Verde National Park
Experience the serene settings of Mesa Verde National Park during winter. Several trails are groomed for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Author’s Note: All activities during winter months depend on road, trail, and weather conditions. Check here for updates.
Photo Credit: lightphoto (iStock).
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (Photo) Credit Bureau of Land Management (flickr)
Native American sites in Colorado
Mesa Verde National Park is just one of many sites to learn about Native American culture in Colorado. Here are 11 more places to learn the history and experience the culture of Native Americans.
Pictured above is Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Photo credit: Bureau of Land Management (flickr)
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