| Mesa Verde National Park |
By: Carla Bailey
Located in the high plateau country in Colorado, west of Durango lies a hidden community built high in the
walls of sandstone. Mesa Verde National Park contains over 600 of some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings,
as well as mesa-top ruins in the United States. The three largest cliff dwellings Balcony House, Cliff Palace,
and Spruce Tree House all have over 130 rooms each. While many tours and hikes are ranger-guided only,
due to the delicate archeology, there are a few that are self-guided. While hiking is somewhat limited in this
park, there are many scenic road loops.
The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi a Navajo term meaning “Ancient Ones”, were the
inhabitants of this area for over 700 years, from approximately 600 AD to 1300AD. Building inside the
sandstone cliffs and above on the mesa tops, the main building materials were mortar, rectangular-shaped
sandstone stones and wood beams. The Mesa Top sites where established approximately 200 years before
the cliff dwellings.
To see the best-preserved cliff dwelling in the park, take the ranger-guided tour of the Spruce Tree House. The
trip takes about an hour round-trip, and is approximately a half-mile, round trip. The Cliff Palace Road Loop will
take you past Cliff Palace and Balcony House, as well as overlooks to other cliff dwellings. A ranger-guided
tour is the only way to enter Cliff Palace or Balcony House.
To see the mesa top sites, drive the Mesa Top Loop Road. The Badger House Community and Cedar Tree
Tower have walking and hiking trails and the Badger House Community, Far View Sites and Sun Temple have
self-guided tours. If stopping at Cedar Tree Tower take the Farming Terrace Trail, a half-mile loop that includes
examples of check dams and farming terraces.
Because of the parks location, Fair View Visitor Center, Morefield Campground and Fair View Lodge, the only
accommodations in a park, are only available spring to fall. Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum is open year
round and includes information, exhibits, artifacts and a bookstore.
Located in the high plateau country in Colorado, west of Durango lies a hidden community built high in the
walls of sandstone. Mesa Verde National Park contains over 600 of some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings,
as well as mesa-top ruins in the United States. The three largest cliff dwellings Balcony House, Cliff Palace,
and Spruce Tree House all have over 130 rooms each. While many tours and hikes are ranger-guided only,
due to the delicate archeology, there are a few that are self-guided. While hiking is somewhat limited in this
park, there are many scenic road loops.
The Ancestral Puebloans, also known as the Anasazi a Navajo term meaning “Ancient Ones”, were the
inhabitants of this area for over 700 years, from approximately 600 AD to 1300AD. Building inside the
sandstone cliffs and above on the mesa tops, the main building materials were mortar, rectangular-shaped
sandstone stones and wood beams. The Mesa Top sites where established approximately 200 years before
the cliff dwellings.
To see the best-preserved cliff dwelling in the park, take the ranger-guided tour of the Spruce Tree House. The
trip takes about an hour round-trip, and is approximately a half-mile, round trip. The Cliff Palace Road Loop will
take you past Cliff Palace and Balcony House, as well as overlooks to other cliff dwellings. A ranger-guided
tour is the only way to enter Cliff Palace or Balcony House.
To see the mesa top sites, drive the Mesa Top Loop Road. The Badger House Community and Cedar Tree
Tower have walking and hiking trails and the Badger House Community, Far View Sites and Sun Temple have
self-guided tours. If stopping at Cedar Tree Tower take the Farming Terrace Trail, a half-mile loop that includes
examples of check dams and farming terraces.
Because of the parks location, Fair View Visitor Center, Morefield Campground and Fair View Lodge, the only
accommodations in a park, are only available spring to fall. Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum is open year
round and includes information, exhibits, artifacts and a bookstore.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |