Mesa Verde National Park

Approx. Time: 5 hours
Activity Level: Moderate to Strenuous

Mesa Verde National Park preserves a spectacular remnant of the Anasazi Indian ("Ancient Ones,") culture, with magnificent cliff dwellings, pueblo villages and well-preserved pit-houses. In the sixth century A.D., the Anasazi established villages on the high, flat land in southwestern Colorado. At first, they lived in caves and in low shelters built over pits on the mesa top. In the late 1100s, they began constructing multi-story stone apartment houses or pueblos tucked in on ledges and under rock overhangs. One particular complex, today called the Cliff Palace, contained more than 200 rooms: religious spaces called kivas, rooms for sleeping and crop storage. The reason the Anasazi moved to these cliffs is not known; perhaps it was for shelter from their enemies. Also unknown is why they abandoned their new homes scarcely 100 years later at the end of the 13th century -- perhaps due to war, drought or their own depletion of resources. Among the more notable cliff dwellings are the Square Tower House, Spruce Tree House, Balcony House, Far View House and Cliff Palace, one of the most spectacular of the Anasazi pueblos. The remains at Mesa Verde are some of the best-preserved and most dramatic in the United States.

The Mesa Verde Administrative District, which lies within the Mesa Verde National Park, is a National Historic Landmark. Mesa Verde National Park is 10 miles east of Cortez, Colorado, on U.S. 160. It is 21 miles from the park entrance to the park headquarters. The park is open on a limited basis in winter. Far View Visitors Center is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00pm (May to September). Please call 970-529-4631, or visit the park's website for further information. Mesa Verde National Park is also a designated World Heritage Site.