Most of the national parks that we visit have a focus on preserving the natural beauty of the area – mountains, lakes, rock formations. Mesa Verde National Park is different. Located in the southwestern corner of Colorado, it was a created to protect and preserve the archeological remains of the Ancestral Puebloans who built their homes and villages in the cliffs of the mesa from 600 to 1300 CE. There are over 5,000 archeological sites within the park, including more than 600 cliff dwellings. Many are remarkable well preserved considering that they are between 700 and 1400 years old! The history buffs in our family were eager to get out and explore all that this park had to offer. We spent an entire day, from early morning until after sundown, out on the mesa visiting the sites. These are our favorites!

Scenic Drive through History

There are several areas of the park that can be accessed without a guided tour, and most are just a short walk from the paved roads of the park. We started our day by driving from Morefield Campground, stopping at the Montezuma Valley overlook and the Park Point overlook for sweeping viewing of the surrounding area. From there we headed to the Far View Sites, where the remains of 50 villages can be found within a half mile of each other. There is a trail system that connects the sites, and a guidebook is available that describes exactly what you’re looking at. Some of the remains are well preserved, while others are just the remnants of a foundation in the ground. It’s best to explore this site first because it would have been far less impressive after viewing the expansive and well-preserved cliff dwellings.

Our next stop was the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. This doubles as a visitor center, with park rangers on hand to answer questions. There is a 20 minute film about the history of the area and the people who called it home. This provided a lot of necessary context, especially for the boys, so I would strongly recommend it. The museum has dioramas and exhibits of artifacts that had been recovered during the excavation of the sites. It was interesting to see the pottery, footwear, utensils, and art from that time period. Out the back of the museum is a trail to Spruce Tree House, a large and well-preserved cliff dwelling. While we were there the trail was closed due to recent rock falls, but there are nice views of it from the area outside the museum. This area also has a cafe, gift shop, picnic area, and restrooms. We had lunch in the picnic area before continuing our drive onto the Mesa Top Loop. This is a 6 mile loop, with 12 stops. Each has a short, paved walking path to the site. There is a guide brochure that describes the history and archeology of each of the stops. Some were more interesting than others. Highlights from the Mesa Top loop include views of Cliff Palace from above, the grand Sun Temple, and Square House. It took us about 90 minutes to complete the loop, stopping at all 12 sites along the way. There is a lot of history to experience on the drive, so it’s a great option for those who are unable to do the more physical cave dwelling tours.

Balcony House Tour

This cave dwelling tour allows you to enter into Balcony House, a thirteenth century structure with over 40 rooms. It’s considered to be an adventure tour because it requires participants to climb a 32 foot ladder, scramble through an 10 foot long, 18 inch wide tunnel, and walk along the edge of a cliff. There is a replica of the tunnel in the visitor center for people who want to try it out before booking the tour. Ryan is a big guy and had to go through sideways, but he fit without any issues. The tour starts on a path that descends 100 feet along the cliff edge. This leads to the big ladder. It was nerve wracking to climb, but I was more focused on Liam than myself. Not looking down helps a lot. Once everyone in the group was up the ladder, the tour guide provided information about the rooms and structures we could see. The wooden pegs for the balcony were still standing over 800 years after being placed! The views of the surrounding area were beautiful from the dwelling. Once the ranger had answered everyone’s questions, we squeezed through the tunnel which was the only entrance to the dwelling when the Ancestral Puebloans lived there. Then it was up several more ladders and stone steps to get back to the top. This was a great tour to get the adrenaline flowing while also experiencing history!

Cliff Palace Sunset Tour

The National Park Service offers guided tours of three cliff dwellings: Balcony House, Cliff Palace, and Long House. In order to attend a guided tour, tickets need to be purchased in person at the Visitor Center (or a few other locations in and around the park). For people passing through the area, especially during the busy summer season, it can be difficult to get same-day tickets. One of the only tours that can be reserved in advance is the Cliff Palace Sunset Tour. The tour is more expensive than the standard one, but its longer and the group is smaller. And we hit the ranger lottery when David Nighteagle, a Native American from the Lakota tribe and a long time national park ranger, was assigned to guide our tour.

The tour began with a short walk down from the top of the mesa along a path. We sat along the rocks and heard about some of the history of the area. Ranger Nighteagle focuses on having people on his tours connect to the location on an emotional level, so we spent some quiet time enjoying the sunset and views of Cliff Palace before making our way to the cliff dwelling. Cliff Palace contains over 150 rooms and is thought to have been a place of significance to the Native Americans who lived here. Because of the number of rooms and kivas, it may have had administrative or ceremonial purposes. We were able to walk through the site, as the ranger shared information about the people who lived here and answered questions. We sat on a windowsill to view original artwork on the ceiling of one of the rooms, and as the sun began to set, Ranger Nighteagle took out a handmade flute and played a song of thanks to the spirits. It was both eerie and beautiful. Leaving the site required climbing up several ladders and stone steps. We came out just as the sun was dropping below the horizon.

This is truly a special site, containing archeological evidence to a past that we know little about. Seeing the sites on these cliff ledges where thousands of Native Americans made their homes gave us a tiny glimpse into what life may have been like for them – their priorities, struggles, and fears. We learned a lot, but also saw how many questions are left unanswered. Why did they suddenly leave these cliff dwellings that took years of hard work to create? What threatened their safety? The mysteries are as intriguing as the facts. And that is what makes this Jack’s new favorite national park!