Cliff Palace and Balcony House
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On day 2 at Mesa Verde National Park, the weather was still cloudy, but at least we weren’t in the cloud this time. It felt like we were on a completely different mountain. We even backtracked to the Park Point Fire Lookout and finally got the views we missed the day before. We caught a glimpse of the Rockies off in the distance.
Cliff Palace
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Our first stop of the day was a ranger led tour of Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America. It’s built right into a massive alcove and has over 150 rooms and more than 20 kivas. Kivas are round, underground spaces used for ceremonies and gatherings. While we were standing inside the alcove, our guide, Bonnie, pulled out a wooden flute and played a soft, Native inspired tune. Hearing that music echo through the ruins was a special moment.
In the afternoon, we joined a second tour to Balcony House, which is smaller but a little more challenge. To get in, we had to climb a 32-foot ladder. To get out, we crawled through a narrow tunnel. Tucked into a tight cliff ledge, Balcony House has about 40 rooms, and 2 springs draining out of the sandstone. And surprisingly, we had the same ranger, Bonnie, leading this tour too, which meant more flute music!
Despite how impressive these cliff dwellings are, the people who lived in them didn’t stay long. They were only occupied for about 100 years before the Ancestral Puebloans migrated south around 1300 CE. Archaeologists point to drought or land overuse as possible reasons, but many modern Pueblo people say their ancestors left simply because it was time.
On our drive through the park, we spotted a group of wild horses near the lodge and a red-shouldered hawk perched in the burned out area. A mix of ruins, wildlife, and flute solos, not a bad day.
In the afternoon, we joined a second tour to Balcony House, which is smaller but a little more challenge. To get in, we had to climb a 32-foot ladder. To get out, we crawled through a narrow tunnel. Tucked into a tight cliff ledge, Balcony House has about 40 rooms, and 2 springs draining out of the sandstone. And surprisingly, we had the same ranger, Bonnie, leading this tour too, which meant more flute music!
Despite how impressive these cliff dwellings are, the people who lived in them didn’t stay long. They were only occupied for about 100 years before the Ancestral Puebloans migrated south around 1300 CE. Archaeologists point to drought or land overuse as possible reasons, but many modern Pueblo people say their ancestors left simply because it was time.
On our drive through the park, we spotted a group of wild horses near the lodge and a red-shouldered hawk perched in the burned out area. A mix of ruins, wildlife, and flute solos, not a bad day.