Mesa Verde National Park
UNESCO World Heritage site preserving Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, including the iconic Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House.
- Altitude
- 2,100 m
- Coordinates
- 37.185°, -108.489°
Current Weather
Mesa Verde National Park protects the most extensive and best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in the United States. Over 5,000 archaeological sites line the canyon walls, with the most dramatic structures built into sandstone alcoves between 1190 and 1300 CE. Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House are the major ranger-accessed tours. Mesa Verde also preserves mesa-top pueblos, petroglyphs, and a working archaeological landscape. The park is designated both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an International Dark Sky Park. Access is near Cortez in the southwestern corner of the state, and summer visitation is high with limited tour tickets.