Unlike most national parks, Mesa Verde National Park is most known for being a bridge to the past. As the largest archeological preserve in the U.S., the park has over 600 cliff dwellings and 4,000 sites to explore and see. Founded in 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt, Mesa Verde National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to what is considered the largest cliff dwelling in North America — Cliff Palace.
Cliff Palace dates back to over 700 years ago and is a multistoried ruin. As the most popular site in the park, Cliff Palace housed nearly 125 people at one time. Along with Cliff Palace, there are other great sites to visit such as the Balcony House with its 45 rooms and Long House with 150 rooms spread out, unlike the clustered cliff dwellings.
Along with the historic sights, the park offers several different hiking trails for more discovery away from the cliff dwellings.
Mesa Verde National Park is also a great location for field trips for schools. As one of the best preserved Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites, the park offers a unique opportunity for kids to learn about archeology and history.
Because of the extensive number of sights to see, Mesa Verde National Park lodging allows visitors to spend enough time to be able to see all that they can. Whether it’s for a half a day or for four, Mesa Verde National Park is a definite must.
2320 reviews
58 reviews
1386 reviews
1215 reviews
