Your guide to the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings: ancient civilizations hidden in Colorado’s canyons
Colorado’s list of natural wonders is practically endless, and the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings are among the most astounding. These 800-year-old homes hug Colorado National Park’s canyon walls and include a staggering Cliff Palace, sweeping canyon views, and more. Here’s our guide to everything you need to know about these impressive, ancient architectural feats (which are sure to top your list of must-sees). And, if you’re already raring to go, check out our U.S. National Parks: The Grand Canyon to Yellowstone and Albuquerque Balloon Festival & U.S. National Parks tours.
Where are the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings located?
Mesa Versa National Park is sitting pretty in Cortez, Colorado, and is home one of the best-preserved archeological sites on the continent: the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings. They’re located near the Four Corners Monument, the only spot where four states—Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico—brush up against one another. On our 12-day U.S. National Parks: The Grand Canyon to Yellowstone tour, you’ll venture from New Mexico into Colorado. Watch the Southwest landscape shift as you pass through lush national parks and through rugged stretches of the Rockies en route to Mesa Verde National Park. Here, you’re deep in the heart of the land of the Anasazi, the former inhabitants of the region, who skillfully built their community around the area’s impressive natural landscape.
After venturing through Mesa Verde on our U.S. National Parks: The Grand Canyon to Yellowstone tour with her daughter, first-time traveler Nancy said, “We learned so much about the history of the people, geology, and cultures. There was a lot of exploring time, which we relished to slow down and poke around the towns. We were in awe of the beauty of our country.”
What are the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings?
The Mesa Verde cliff dwellings are man-made homes that are built into alcoves in Colorado’s canyons. They date back to the late 1190s, when Ancestral Puebloans started moving from the mesa top and started living in pueblos (communal dwellings) constructed beneath the cliffs in Colorado’s rust-colored canyons. The Puebloans spent almost a century residing nearly 8,500 feet high in these alcoves in Colorado’s Mesa Verde, which range from single-room granaries to villages like the 150-room, stone-crafted Cliff Palace, one of the 600 dwellings still standing today.
Exploring these wonders on Mesa Verde tours gives a glimpse into what life was once like in the Southwest, before the Puebloans migrated into New Mexico. On our Albuquerque Balloon Festival & U.S. National Parks tour, Mesa Verde is one of a handful of spectacular national parks that you’ll visit. “[It was] basically a bucket list trip,” said first-time traveler Brian. “Pictures can’t describe the Grand, Zion, and Bryce Canyons—they were all spectacular.”
Top sites to see in Mesa Verde National Park
There are countless wonders to see on our Mesa Verde National Park tours. Here are some of the top sites to visit as you explore the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings:
Cliff Palace: The Mesa Verde Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling discovered on the continent and was once home to more than 100 people. You’ll be blown away by the architectural mastery of the Ancestral Puebloans as you stroll along the ancient stone steps.
Square Tower House: This is the tallest dwelling in the park. Be sure to give yourself time to marvel at the original plaster and paint from the Mesa Top Loop overlook.
Balcony House: This dwelling is popular because it requires taking a more adventurous route if you want to visit it. Visitors need to climb a ladder and crawl through narrow passageways to access the 38 rooms and two kivas, or ceremonial chambers.
What is it like to adventure around the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings?
As with any impressive, centuries-old wonder, pictures never do these landmarks justice. No photo can capture the feeling you’ll have as you stare up at the intricately carved structures and rock art. On a guided tour during our U.S. National Parks: The Grand Canyon to Yellowstone trip, you’ll have the chance to discover the dwellings as you explore the towering limestone cliffs punctuating the rust-red rocks and mesas covered in sagebrush. “I had never visited this part of the U.S. before, and I was blown away by the beauty,” said first-time traveler Jessica after her summer tour. “I am so pleased I decided to take this tour. I met some wonderful people, and had I attempted to travel on my own, I would have unknowingly missed so much!”
You’ll experience the dwellings from different angles while visiting on one of our United States tours. Feast your eyes on the original plaster and paint of the tallest dwelling in the park, Square Tower House. Or, admire the aptly named Balcony House, which you can visit during free time if you’re daring enough to scale the cliffside via ladders and narrow passages—the same way the Ancestral Puebloans did more than 800 years ago.
Ready to explore the ancient wonders of Mesa Verde? Shop our United States tours today, and get ready to marvel at these Colorado cliff dwellings alongside our experts.
