During our visit to the Durango area, we visited Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, about 35 miles west of Durango.
Mesa Verde, located in southwestern Colorado, is a World Heritage Site. Ancestral Pueblo people lived here from 600 to 1300 CE.
The park has about 5,000 archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings where Ancestral Puebloan people lived. These have been preserved as archaeological sites from these Anasazi communities.
Cliff Palace
Visitors to Mesa Verde can explore a variety of sites, with the Cliff Palace being the most famous.
The Cliff Palace was built within a large cave in a cliff face, showing the ingenuity of its builders. It is the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
The Cliff Palace is believed to have housed over 100 people. It contains about 150 rooms and 23 kivas. Kivas are circular, underground rooms that were used for religious purposes.
Other Sites at Mesa Verde
The park is not just about the Cliff Palace. On the mesa tops and in other cliffs, there are remains of pithouses and pueblos where these ancient people farmed, hunted, and gathered.
For example, the Spruce Tree House is the third largest cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde. It is considered to be one of the best preserved. However, there are concerns about rock falls and structural stability, so visitors are no longer able to tour the Spruce Tree House.
Trails and overlooks throughout the park offer stunning views of the dwellings and the surrounding landscape.
Mesa Verde Visitor Center
You can stop at the Mesa Verde Visitor Center to obtain a map and learn more about tours offered of the Cliff Palace and other sites at Mesa Verde.
There are also many displays inside the visitor center about how the ancient Puebloans lived at Mesa Verde.
Mesa Verde Tours
To see the Cliff Palace and other sites at Mesa Verde, you must buy tour tickets in advance. These fill up incredibly fast, so plan ahead!
Tour tickets are available 14 days in advance, on a rolling daily basis.
You can buy Mesa Verde tour tickets online at recreation.gov.
Unfortunately for us, we did not plan ahead and were not able to take a tour of the Cliff Palace.
Nearby Dispersed Camping
RV parks and campgrounds in this area fill up fast during the tourist season, so dispersed camping is also an option.
When we visited Mesa Verde, we boondocked in our RV at a dispersed camping location called Madden Peak Road. It is located about 14 miles away from Mesa Verde.
Final Thoughts on Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is an incredible place with so much history. You can learn more about tours and activities at the park’s website.
Definitely plan ahead to take a tour so that you can get the most out of this amazing archaeological wonder!
