In the 13th century, the Ancestral Pueblo people left their 600-year-old homes on plateaus for cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. They built new villages in the caves and alcoves below the cliff’s edge to escape the ravages of drought. They lived in 600 cliff dwellings for almost a century until the Great Drought’s nonstop warfare forced them to leave.

In these hidden “apartment” complexes, you can imagine what life was like in these skyboxes beneath the green mountaintops. These expert builders left behind exquisite masonry. Most small rectangular rooms were for sleeping while some were for storing supplies. Smoke from cooking fires left dark stains on the walls and ceilings. Kivas were circular ceremonial structures with a fire pit, ventilation shafts, and shelving. Next to the kivas are communal plazas where people shared stories and children played. Under mysterious circumstances, they became out of balance with their natural environment, society collapsed, and they vanished from this dreamland.

MUST SEES

Cliff Palace

The Pueblo people built the largest cliff dwelling in North America around 1190. Its 150 rooms, 23 kivas, and four ladders supported 100 people. Villagers moved around using ladders, tunnels, and passageways.

Spruce Tree House

The third largest cliff dwelling is located in a natural alcove. With 130 rooms and 8 kivas, 60 to 80 people could live comfortably. Ranchers found this site below a sandstone arch by climbing down a Douglas Fir tree.

Balcony House

Visiting Balcony House is a ¼-mile obstacle course. After descending 130 steps, climb a 32-foot ladder to enter. Crawl through an 18-inch-wide tunnel. Finally, ascend a 60-foot cliff face with stone steps and two 17-foot ladders to exit.

Sun Temple

Above a canyon, the Sun Temple was an astronomical observatory aligned with solar and lunar cycles. At this D-shaped structure, the Pueblo people used astronomical observations to plan for farming and ceremonial activities.

Step House

On Weatherill Mesa, you can explore Step House on your own. People built pithouses, wood-frame homes, on the ground 600 years before the cliff dwellings at this alcove. These people left intricate baskets at this site.

LOGISTICS

Cliff Dwelling Tours

To enter any cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde, you must have a reservation on a ranger-led tour. Tour season is from the start of May to the middle of October.

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