Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: May 2024
Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado. It is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States and contains over 4,500 known sites, including about 600 cliff dwellings. The park offers several overlooks, trails and tours to catch a glimpse of many of these sites which were built by the ancestral Pueblo people.
From Durango it’s about a 40 minute drive to get to the park entrance. We headed out as the baby was getting ready for her first nap. Except she didn’t fall asleep in the car, which was a bit surprising considering all the twists, turns and switchbacks as we weaved our way up to the top of the mesa. So we quickly took turns to check out some of the overlooks, stopping first at the Mancos Valley Overlook. Mancos was considered the gateway to Mesa Verde, even after the ancestral Puebloans left. People continued to use the same routes used by the ancestral Puebloans until the national park was established and a paved road was constructed.
Then there was the Montezuma Valley Overlook. The valley below, along with Mesa Verde were once a part of the ancestral Pueblo people. It is estimated that as many as 35,000 people lived in this region during the 1200s.
At this point baby M was getting fussy so we figured we’d check out the rest of the overlooks on the way back and instead go for a hike. We headed to Far View Sites where there’s a short trail (1.2km loop) that passes six ancestral sites.
This area was one of the most densely populated regions of Mesa Verde. In the mid-1100s there may have been at least 35 villages within a half square mile area. Far View House was the largest building in the area which was thought to have been the centre of the community.
The ancestral Pueblo people lived here for several centuries, using the mesa-top soils for farming. They built structures to catch and retain water to help keep the land fertile, including a reservoir.
They also built towers to get a better view of the surrounding area, along with smaller homes and keyhole shaped kivas which were used for ceremonial purposes. The ancestral Pueblo people lived here at least 200 years before they began building the cliff dwellings. While some left to move into the cliff dwellings, many remained in Far View.
By the time we completed the trail we were ready for lunch. We headed towards the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum where there’s a large picnic area near the amphitheatre. We found something in the shade and hung out there for a bit to let the baby play around.
From there we drove along the Mesa Top Loop Road, a 10km scenic drive with several overlooks and points of interest. This included the site of a pithouse (one of the earliest permanent dwellings on Mesa Verde), an overlook of Navajo Canyon, Sun Point View (an overlook of over 30 cliff dwellings in the canyon alcoves and ledges) and the Sun Temple (a ceremonial structure).
Afterwards we drove along the Cliff Palace Loop, another 10km scenic drive that provides more viewpoints of some of the larger cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace. With at least 150 rooms, it is the largest known cliff dwelling in North America. The park offers guided tours of Cliff Palace (as well as of Balcony House and Long House), however we were a bit too early in the season and the tours weren’t up and running yet. But even if they were, I doubt we could have done it with the little one as it involves climbing several tall ladders. Instead we admired the views from the overlook.
We then hiked the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail (2km round trip). The trail waves through a pinyon-juniper forest and leads to three overlooks along the rim of Soda Canyon which provide a view of the canyon and Balcony House, another impressive cliff dwelling.
It was getting late in the day so we headed back to our accommodations in Durango to figure out what to do for dinner.
L
Such an amazing civilisation they had, wow! It’s odd that they are all gone now.
It must have been incredibly difficult for them to leave it all behind. It’s not clear why the ancestral Pueblo people left the Four Corners region, but it’s thought to have been due to climate change, prolonged droughts, depletion of natural resources and/or cultural or social changes.
I visited this area some years ago. It’s amazing what these people built and how sophisticated they were. And then it was over; a startling reminder of how frequently various civilisations will run their course and then, for whatever reason, the people who created them disappear or are dispersed or absorbed by other civilisations. It’s fascinating.
It definitely is fascinating. The neat thing about Mesa Verde are all the dwellings that have been built in the canyon alcoves and ledges and that they blend in so well with the landscape. I can’t even imagine how labour intensive it would have been to haul everything up there. Oh, and to even build the ladders to reach certain spots! I wouldn’t want to be the first person to climb up! It must have been a tough decision for them to leave and start over somewhere else.
The views from above allow you to really understand how large these settlements were. Reminds me of the Clan of the Cave Bear books. Maggie
For sure. It also gives you an appreciation of how much work it would have been to build some of these settlements in the canyon alcoves. How they even got up to some of them is impressive! I just read a quick summary of the Clan of the Cave Bear. Sounds interesting. There’s even a movie too.
I haven’t seen the movie, but the books are addictive. I’m about to start the last (6th) one. Highly recommend. Maggie
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m always looking for new books to read.
Wow, Cliff palace is something else. What incredible places to see – it looks relentlessly hot though!
It would be neat to go on a tour of Cliff Palace and to see the ruins close-up. It just means we’ll have to return at some point, likely when M is a bit older and can climb the ladders herself. And yes, I imagine this place is unbearable in the summer when you’re out in the open as there isn’t much protection from the sun. No wonder they built their dwellings in the alcoves of the canyons!
Wow love those ancient cities but especially Cliff Palace- amazing!
Cliff Palace was definitely the star of the show. It’s too bad we weren’t able to go on a tour of it. Sounds like a good excuse to return someday.
Spectacular dwellings and scenery! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙏🏻
It’s pretty incredible how they managed to get into some of these alcoves high up in the canyon and then build structures inside them. And agreed, the scenery and views are also very beautiful. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
It is truly incredible – there are similar structures north of Phoenix, perhaps less of them, but built into and from the mountain. It is awe-inspiring to gaze at them. ✨
Good to know. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time we visit Arizona. I’m such a fan of the Southwest.
🏜️🙏🏻🌞
I don’t know what it is about the round structures, but I really like them.
The circular structures are very visually appealing, aren’t they? Many of them were kivas, which were used for ceremonial purposes. The ancestral Pueblo people thought they connected the world above to the spirits of the underworld. They performed rituals and brought offerings to the spirits to receive good fortune.
Absolutely worth to view these photos, such a very long time ago who are built for their living purposes 🌷🙏👍🏻😊
Now this place ancient and inspiring historical nature became to the world 🌎 how beautifully made by the stones,
very interesting story 🤔🙏 thank you for sharing and graceful wishes my lovely friend 💞👏
Thanks so much for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It’s pretty fascinating how these dwellings were built inside the walls of the canyon. I couldn’t agree more about the beautiful scenery and interesting history of the area.
An amazing view forever , sure 🙏🌷👍🏻Thank you so much for likes my comments and many many greetings blessings my sweet friend 💞💐🖖
Mesa Verde truly is an amazing place. Excellent photos!
Thanks for your lovely comment. I couldn’t agree more. Mesa Verde is so fascinating. It makes you wonder how they were able to access some of the alcoves and then build several structures that are high up on the canyon walls. They must not have had a fear of heights!
Good on you both for initiating Baby M into the world of travel, hiking and adventure. It will instill a sense of wonder in her…like I wonder where they are taking me now…I wonder when we will get home…I wonder when they will feed me. 😁The whole area looks quite stunning. Coming back in the hot weather would not have been a good idea for us poor Canadians, even if it meant going on the tour. Thanks for sharing Linda. Happy Monday. Allan
Even though she won’t remember any of it, I couldn’t agree more about how taking her on these adventures and spending time outside is good for her (and for us too). I often wonder what she must think of us and the world around her. It’s been neat trying to experience things through her eyes now. I can’t imagine how hot this place would be in the summer. That’s a hard pass for us. I can handle the cold, but not so much the heat. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of the week. Linda
Such an interesting site to visit! The cliff dwellings are so fascinating, I’m glad they’ve stood the test of time.
Oh I know! It’s remarkable how well they’ve stood up over the years, especially in some of these alcoves. They were pretty crafty!
A harsh yet beautiful landscape to live in or explore, no doubt there was less desertification before as in Egypt and other places. The Earth changes at different paces. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
It makes you wonder why they chose to live here given the harsh environment. Perhaps that’s why they left. It’s incredible how much is still standing. I can’t even imagine how much work would have been involved to haul everything up into the cliff dwellings. It must have been a hard life. Thanks for reading. Linda
Thanks for sharing. I have never been at Mesa Verde, shame on me. Perhaps your great photos and description has served to inspire me to do so.
It was fascinating to visit Mesa Verde and see some of the cliff dwellings. We weren’t able to go on any of the tours as we were a bit too early in the season, so it looks like we’ll need to return at some point!
Beautiful photos, Linda. I love getting a glimpse of how people lived in the past and their engineering to maximize things like capturing rain water. Amazing how people achieved things without modern technology.
Cliff Palace looks so cool. Again, impressive to think about how this was built without the modern tools.
Thanks! It’s always so much more interesting to learn about the history of a place by visiting it. Agreed, it’s pretty incredible how they were able to build such sophisticated structures, especially in the alcoves in the canyon, with primitive tools and basic materials from the area.
Cliff Palace was definitely the star of the show. I’d love to return and take a tour of it, along with some of the other cliff dwellings.
Man, you guys crammed a lot into one day! Glad you enjoyed Mesa Verde. It’s such a cool place!
It was a long day, but it helped that we didn’t have to do much driving since we were staying in Durango for another night. Mesa Verde is definitely pretty cool, especially those cliff dwellings. We only saw them from the viewpoints, but I imagine it would be pretty awesome to take a tour of one of them.
It’s incredible to think that 35,000 people once called this place home. I’d love to time travel and spend a day with them, experiencing their daily lives. What an amazing place to visit! Great photos—they really inspire me to go there.
Oh I know! It would be neat to travel back in time and see what this place was like during its heyday. It’s incredible how much has survived though. It’s definitely worth visiting. There are so many fantastic sites in this area and it’s a fun way to learn more about the ancestral Pueblo people.
Such amazing site with this scenery. Anita
The scenery was pretty spectacular. I imagine it would get extremely hot in the summer though as there isn’t much protection from the sun. It makes you wonder how the ancestral Pueblo people were able to live in such a harsh environment.
This is quite impressive, to have such a large dwelling site in one place.
Hope baby M enjoyed the rest of the trip🥰
Oh I know! And it’s incredible how the ruins are in such great shape. It makes you wonder how they were able to access some of the alcoves, especially since the walls of the canyon looked pretty steep.
Baby M was such a good little traveller. She was about five months old at the time of our trip. We’re heading to the east coast on Friday and hope everything will go just as smoothly.
Oh, so nice, safe travels!! xx
Thanks! And thankfully it’s a short flight!
It just blows my mind to think of so many people creating homes from the rocks and what daily life must have been like for them. Absolutely incredible to see what they created and that it still stands as it was 🙂
It’s pretty impressive how resourceful and crafty the ancestral Pueblo people were. I still can’t get over how they managed to haul all their food and supplies up into some of those alcoves. They must not have had a fear of heights!
It’s amazing how these dwellings have stood the test of time. I’d be interested to know where all the people went. I think you mentioned previously something about a drought (?), but was it enough for them to completely abandon such an exquisitely built place and disappear into history?
For sure. It’s not entirely clear why the ancestral Pueblo people left, but it is thought to have been due to prolonged droughts, depletion of natural resources and/or cultural or social changes. Either way, I’m sure it was hard for them to leave everything all behind. I’m glad the ruins of places like this still exist to keep their history and stories alive.
Beautiful photos! And so mind-boggling to imagine how much life was once in those places and then suddenly disappeared. My husband and I spent 3 days in MVNP, in the summertime when the tours were running. We enjoyed climbing the ladders. We stayed at a B&B outside of Mancos, in a mountain lodge. It was such an enchanting trip!
Thanks for your lovely comment. Agreed, it’s pretty wild how the ancestral Pueblo people created all this and, for whatever reason, left it all behind and disappeared or joined another civilization. It sounds like you had a wonderful time exploring Mesa Verde. I’d love to return to go on all the tours of the cliff dwellings. Perhaps when our little one is a bit older and can climb the ladders herself!
Yes, those ladders would be challenging with a little one in tow 😊
It would be a pretty good workout though!
It must be nice to tour Cliff Palace, but even from the overlook the ruins look incredible! The ancestral Pueblo people were really avid builders. It’s amazing that some of what they built can still be seen today.
It’s too bad that the timing didn’t work out with the tours, but I don’t think we could have gone anyway because of baby M. At least we were able to admire it from the overlook. It’s pretty incredible how they were able to get all the way up into that alcove, especially since the canyon walls were pretty steep. And agreed, it’s wonderful how so much has been preserved, which helps keep their history and memories alive.
Great photos Linda. Cliff Palace in the ancient city looks stunning. It looks extremely hot weather for hiking!
Thanks for your kind words. Cliff Palace was definitely the largest and one of the most impressive cliff dwellings that we visited. It gave us such a newfound appreciation of how crafty and sophisticated they were. And yes, it was quite hot outside and there wasn’t much protection from the sun. I can’t imagine what it would be like in the summer.
Wow, this area where you were on your road trip is rich in archaeological sites! It’s interesting to read how they built the same buildings we still do these days – like a reservoir (something we still build and use today on farms where there is a water shortage). And it’s amazing how far one can see from the lookout points … the cliff dwellings remain fascinating.
We could have easily stayed in this area for longer as there’s so many of these ruins and ancestral sites to explore. Mesa Verde is one of the largest and most impressive ones. It was neat to see how they built so many buildings inside the alcoves of the canyon walls. It makes you wonder how they were even able to reach them considering how steep the walls were. They were certainly resourceful and quite sophisticated. And yes, it’s kind of funny to see how their architecture was so advanced at the time and that we’re still using some of the same techniques today.
Amazing place. Were there many other visitors, or was it quiet?
We visited at the beginning of May and it was still relatively quiet, which is just how we like it. I can only imagine how busy this park can get during the summer. The cliff dwellings are fascinating.
Would love to visit this place! Thanks for the inspiration!
I hope you make it there someday as the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde are pretty amazing. It’s incredible how the ancestral Pueblo people were able to build such sophisticated structures without modern technology and that so much of them are still standing a thousand years later.
I have always wanted to visit Mesa Verde. Your pictures are gorgeous.
Thanks for your kind words. It’s such a fascinating place and it was neat to see some of the cliff dwellings. I can’t even begin to imagine how they managed to access some of the alcoves and then haul up all their supplies to build inside them. They must not have had a fear of heights!
Amazing photos!
Thanks so much! The scenery is spectacular and the cliff dwellings are pretty incredible.
Incredible views from the view points. I didn’t know about this civilisation. It is so interesting, especially to see how well preserved the site is.
The ancestral Puebloans lived in a relatively small area in Southwestern United States. It’s pretty incredible how sophisticated they were and how much is still standing a thousand years later. The cliff dwellings here were especially impressive.
Ces sites archéologiques sont fascinants et rares pour les etats-Unis.
Sorry, here comes the English version: These archaeological sites are fascinating and rare for the United States!
C’est pas de problème! It’s been awhile since I’ve used my French! The cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde are pretty amazing. It was a fun way to learn more about the history of the ancestral Pueblo people. It makes us want to visit more places around the world with ancient sites and lost civilizations.
Nice post! One of my favorite places!
Thanks for your lovely comment. I can easily see why Mesa Verde is one of your favourite places. The cliff dwellings and history of the area is fascinating. I’d love to return at some point to go on all the tours.
Mesa Verde was a trip highlight for me. That’s where I braved my fear of heights and climbed (short) ladders on a ranger led tour. I also really love Durango. I never get tired of that place! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Mesa Verde is fascinating. Sounds like it was worth getting over your fear of heights to check out some of the cliff dwellings. I’d love to return when our little one isn’t so little anymore so we can go on all the ranger led tours of the dwellings. We only saw they from the various overlooks.
I enjoyed it and am sure you would too. You’ll make an adventurer out of your little one!
You bet! She already loves being outside! And she’s so curious!
Curious humans are my favorite people!
Oh I know! I hope her curiosity and enjoyment of spending time in nature stays with her forever. All the more reason for us to continue to those provide opportunities to do so, like going on more hikes!
Absolutely! This is a vital part of her early childhood development! Hike more!
Amen to that!
Wow this is incredible
The history of the ancestral Pueblo people is so fascinating. It was neat to see so many of their cliff dwellings. It’s incredible to think how they managed to get in some of those alcoves.
I am impressed with your efforts in the intense sunshine. I imagine that must have taken quite a bit of planning with baby in tow. I’m guessing it would have been impossible solely on foot? The vistas you were treated to here were surely worth it all, especially from the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail. I particularly like the stone alley shot you took from ground level.
Thanks! It definitely took a lot of planning as well as some trial and error. We ended up taking turns at some of the overlooks because it became a bit of a hassle to keep taking the baby in and out of her car seat. And we also wanted to give her ample time out of her car seat and baby carrier to play around. We ended up skipping a few of the viewpoints because of that, but that’s okay. I have a feeling we’ll come back at some point to go on a tour of some of the cliff dwellings.
Another incredibly interesting site. I’ve really enjoyed following along on your visits to these sublime sites and learning about the Pueblo people. I must admit I didn’t know anything about them before reading your blog posts. I had to take a second look at the cliff palace, it’s extraordinary.
Thanks for your kind words. It was so fascinating to learn more about the ancestral Pueblo people by visiting these historic sites. It’s incredible how they were able to build such sophisticated structures for the time, especially in the cliffs. They must not have had a fear of heights!
Great photos and good information about the pueblo peoples. What an amazing culture they must have had. It’s been decades since I was in that corner of Colorado and loved seeing it in your post.
Thanks so much for your lovely comment. It’s fascinating how the ancestral Pueblo people built such sophisticated structures, especially in some of the ledges and alcoves in the canyon. It was neat to visit Mesa Verde and try to imagine what life must have been like for them.
Pam and I had wonderful experiences there…a fabulous place. Thanks for bringing our trip back to mind.
http://michaelstephenwills.com/2023/03/11/balcony-house-tour/
What amazing sights to see!! I used to and still do fall asleep if I’m not driving on long trips ha ha. Maybe all the sights had baby M interested. Aww. She’s going to have the travel bug like you both. I love that. It’s such an incredible gift. It’s interesting that the Pueblo people went into the mountains. It must’ve been scary building their homes in them.
It was pretty incredible to see some of the cave dwellings and it’s amazing how they’re in such great shape. I can’t even imagine how much work it must have been to haul everything up in those alcoves – building materials, food, and water. They must not have had a fear of heights!