Mesa Verde National Park preserves one of the most significant collections of Ancestral Puebloan sites in North America, from mesa-top villages and ceremonial structures to the famous cliff dwellings tucked beneath sandstone alcoves. During our visit, we explored museums, archaeological sites, and scenic overlooks throughout the park. Ranger-led tours of Cliff Palace and Balcony House provided a closer look at two of Mesa Verde's most remarkable cliff dwellings.
Pick a stop to see its story and photos.
Mesa Verde started with camp and broad overlooks before the cliff-dwelling tours took over.
Park Point Fire Lookout is the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park at 8,572 feet, offering sweeping views across the Four Corners region and a perspective that extends far beyond the park's archaeological sites.
Chapin Mesa Museum provides an introduction to the history and culture of the Ancestral Puebloans through exhibits, artifacts, and nearby archaeological sites.
Sun Temple is one of Mesa Verde's most impressive archaeological sites, a large ceremonial structure built near the end of Ancestral Puebloan occupation that overlooks Cliff Palace and the surrounding canyon.
Cliff Palace is still the signature Mesa Verde stop for a reason.
Balcony House is one of Mesa Verde's most adventurous ranger-led tours, requiring visitors to climb ladders and crawl through a narrow tunnel to reach the cliff dwelling.
The visitor center stop worked more as the transition piece out of the park.
Mesa Verde started with camp and broad overlooks before the cliff-dwelling tours took over.
Park Point Fire Lookout is the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park at 8,572 feet, offering sweeping views across the Four Corners region and a perspective that extends far beyond the park's archaeological sites.
Chapin Mesa Museum provides an introduction to the history and culture of the Ancestral Puebloans through exhibits, artifacts, and nearby archaeological sites.
Sun Temple is one of Mesa Verde's most impressive archaeological sites, a large ceremonial structure built near the end of Ancestral Puebloan occupation that overlooks Cliff Palace and the surrounding canyon.
Cliff Palace is still the signature Mesa Verde stop for a reason.
Balcony House is one of Mesa Verde's most adventurous ranger-led tours, requiring visitors to climb ladders and crawl through a narrow tunnel to reach the cliff dwelling.
The visitor center stop worked more as the transition piece out of the park.
Mesa Verde National Park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in North…
On day 2 at Mesa Verde National Park, the weather was still cloudy, but at least we weren’t in the cloud…
Before leaving Mesa Verde National Park, we stopped at the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center, which we…
