Climb to mysterious cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park

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Climb to mysterious cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is in southwest Colorado. It's known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, notably the huge Cliff Palace. The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum has exhibits on the ancient Native American culture. Mesa Top Loop Road winds past archaeological sites and overlooks, including Sun Point Overlook with panoramic canyon views. Petroglyph Point Trail has several rock carvings.

// More than 700 years after its inhabitants disappeared, Mesa Verde retains an air of eeriness. No one knows for sure why the Ancestral Puebloans left their elaborate cliff homes in southwest Colorado. The sandstone structures are incredibly well preserved, thanks to the dry high-desert air. And they're wild to explore. You don't just walk into the buildings of Mesa Verde. You clamber up lofty ladders set against sheer cliffs to reach the abodes, just like the ancients did. Then you crawl and climb some more as you take in the kivas, plazas, stone towers and painted murals. It's all quite transporting: the elevation puts you next to the mammoth sky, and every breath of whistling wind feels as though it carries the secrets of the departed.

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What is special about Mesa Verde National Park?

A holy place. For more than 700 years, the ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 pueblos and tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past.

Why is Mesa Verde closed?

The Wetherill Mesa area of Mesa Verde National Park will be closed for the 2024 season to accommodate continued construction of a new call station in the Wetherill area. February 6, 2024

Is Mesa Verde National Park worth it?

We recommend Mesa Verde National Park tours to anyone interested in archeology or history. While the park certainly has scenic desert views, the real attractions are the well-preserved ancient sites of the indigenous people who once lived there.

Why was Mesa Verde abandoned?

But a severe drought in 1277, along with resource depletion and social upheaval, is thought to have caused a massive migration south to New Mexico and Arizona by the end of the 13th century.

What is the most famous Mesa Verde?

Mesa Verde Rock Palace Rock Palace

The Mesa Verde Rock Palace, the largest and most famous rock dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park, has more than 150 individual rooms and more than 20 kivas (rooms for religious ceremonies).

Can you still walk through Mesa Verde?

You must be on a ticketed tour with a ranger to enter all of the cliff dwellings. The 2024 tour season will begin on May 12. Tour tickets can only be purchased at recreation.gov or by calling toll-free 1-877-444-6777. Tickets are available 14 days in advance, at 8am local time, in a daily window.

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