6 Must-See Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park are among the most numerous and best-preserved of their kind in North America. They are one of the cultural jewels in the crown of the National Park System.
Countless cliff dwellings dot the landscape of Mesa Verde—more than 600 of them—along with literally thousands of other archaeological sites, such as farming structures, pit houses, and towers.
This makes Mesa Verde National Park the largest archaeological preserve in the United States.
Built between the late-1100s to the late-1200s by the Ancestral Puebloans, these spectacular cliffside pueblos range widely in size and even purpose, from one-room granaries to expansive villages comprising over 150 rooms and several kivas.
Read more about the Ancestral Puebloan people in the Mesa Verde region on the park’s website.
Nowadays, the cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park are a fascinating part of the National Park System. It was the first U.S. national park created specifically to preserve cultural heritage—“to preserve the works of man,” in the words of President Theodore Roosevelt who established the park in 1906.
Several cliff dwellings are open to the public, accessible on either guided ranger tours or self-guided walks. Below, you’ll find an overview of the six must-see Native American cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde.
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6 Must-See Native American Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park
Its name meaning “green table mountain” in Spanish, Mesa Verde National Park comprises a collection of mesas and canyons in southwestern Colorado.
There are a number of scenic overlooks and small historic sites along the park road, but Mesa Verde’s star attractions—the cliff dwellings—are in the far south of the park. They’re divided between two mesa tops:
- Chapin Mesa – the most popular area, home to a museum, various hiking trails, and two scenic loop drives; 4 major cliff dwellings: Balcony House, Cliff Palace, Spruce Tree House, and Square Tower House.
- Wetherill Mesa – has an information kiosk, short walking trails, and a paved loop path for hiking or cycling; 2 major cliff dwellings: Long House and Step House.
Chapin Mesa Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park
Balcony House
Accessible only on guided tours with a park ranger; also visible from the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail.
One of two spectacular cliff dwellings on the Cliff Palace Loop Road, Balcony House “was a mid-sized village of 38 rooms and two kivas and probably housed up to 30 people,” the National Park Service says.
It contains some extraordinarily well-preserved rooms, plazas, and kivas, the latter of which are pronounced “kee-vahs” and are ceremonial chambers. Two natural springs provided water, one in the alcove itself and the other just below.
An unusual characteristic of Balcony House is that its alcove faces northeast. This means that there would’ve been little warmth from the sun in winter, indicating that its residents may have prioritized Balcony House’s easy access to water over warmth.
You can visit Balcony House on a guided ranger tour. Tours involve a tunnel, passageways, and a 32-foot entrance ladder—the most adventurous of all Mesa Verde cliff dwelling tours.
Alternatively, there is a good view of Balcony House from the end of the 1.2-mile Soda Canyon Overlook Trail as well.
Cliff Palace
Accessible only on guided tours with a park ranger; also visible from the Cliff Palace Overlook.
Situated on its namesake Cliff Palace Loop Road, Cliff Palace is the most impressive of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. It’s an essential place to visit (or at least see) in the park.
Studies show that Cliff Palace encompassed no fewer than 150 rooms and 23 kivas, providing a home to about 100 people. This makes Cliff Palace the largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde and one of the largest in North America.
For context, the National Park Service says that “out of the nearly 600 cliff dwellings concentrated within the boundaries of the park, 75% contain only 1-5 rooms each, and many are single room storage units.” Cliff Palace is enormous.
The Cliff Palace Overlook offers a fantastic view of this huge dwelling, which is thought to have had many purposes, from social and administrative to ceremonial.
Additionally, you can also visit Cliff Palace on a guided ranger tour, which I highly recommend.
Spruce Tree House
Not open to the public, but visible from overlooks.
The third-largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park (after Cliff Palace and Long House), Spruce Tree House has approximately 130 rooms and 8 kivas. Up to 80 people are thought to have lived there.
It is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park. Thanks to the exceptional protection provided by its alcove, 90% of the material within Spruce Tree House, such as wood, walls, and plaster, is still original.
However, a natural sandstone arch within the Spruce Tree House alcove is affected by erosion and has been unstable since the 1940s. After some rocks fell on a trail in 2015, the park has closed Spruce Tree House to the public. Park management says it will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
You can still enjoy a beautiful view of this amazing cliff dwelling from the overlooks behind the Chapin Mesa Museum, though. Don’t miss it!
Square Tower House
Accessible only on guided tours with a park ranger; also visible from a roadside viewpoint on the Mesa Top Loop.
In a national park filled with unique historic sites, Square Tower House is among the most remarkable. For example, this cliff dwelling is home to the park’s tallest standing structure, lots of Native American rock art, original plaster, and an intact kiva roof.
You can clearly see this amazing dwelling from a viewpoint on the Mesa Top Loop, a wonderful scenic drive that also features pit houses and villages on the Chapin Mesa top.
For an unforgettable Mesa Verde National Park experience, however, you can also visit Square Tower House on a backcountry tour with a ranger. These tours involve a strenuous 1-mile hike on an uneven gravel trail, which has various steep switchbacks and two ladders.
Wetherill Mesa Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park
NOTE: The Wetherill Mesa area of Mesa Verde National Park is closed to the public through 2023 for the construction of a new contact station. An additional large waterline replacement project may extend the closure through 2024. Read more about closures in the park here.
Long House
Accessible only on guided tours with a park ranger; also visible from the Long House Overlook.
One of the largest cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park, Long House is comparable in size to Cliff Palace. It has about 150 rooms, 21 kivas, and even a row of upper storage areas. Some 150 to 175 people may have lived there.
Long House also features a formal plaza in its center, which is larger than in most other villages, indicating that it was probably a significant civic and ceremonial site.
You can admire this stunning cliff dwelling from the Long House Overlook on the paved Long House Loop Trail, which is accessible to hikers and cyclists.
Alternatively, Long House can also be visited on a guided ranger tour, which includes a 2.25-mile roundtrip hike and two 15-foot ladders.
Step House
Accessible on a short self-guided hike
Located next to the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk, Step House is accessible on a short but steep self-guided hike. It’s one of the quieter cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde, a nice addition to your park visit if you have extra time to spend.
Step House is also noteworthy for its archaeological evidence of different Ancestral Puebloan occupations.
It is home to a Basketmaker III pit house dating from the early-600s, as well as a Pueblo III masonry pueblo with 27 rooms and 3 kivas dating from the 1200s. (Basketmaker III sites are hard to find in cliff dwellings because most of them have disappeared due to later activities in the dwellings.)
Map of the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings
More About Mesa Verde National Park
- Park Website
- Travel Guide
- Topographic Map
- Top Things To Do in Mesa Verde National Park
- Accommodation
