Mesa Verde National Park - 1-Day Highlights

Cliff Palace Overlook is a magnificent view point for Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in the park. With at least 150 rooms and 21 kivas, Cliff Palace is an exceptionally large cliff dwelling and possibly an important gathering place as an administrative center with ceremonial use for many nearby Ancestral Pueblo villages.

The 6-mile (10 km) Mesa Top Loop takes you through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. From remains of early pithouses and masonry villages to multi-storied cliff dwellings, archeological sites along this loop show how early Pueblo architecture evolved. Archeology and Pueblo oral histories shed light on what life may have been like for people who lived, worked, and raised families here for generations.

Enjoy wonderful views of Spruce Tree House, the third largest and best preserved cliff dwelling in the park from across a narrow canyon.

The canyon junction before you was once a bustling community. Over 30 cliff dwellings occupy these canyon alcoves and ledges. How many can you spot? Look around you. Imagine living here 800 years ago, seeing your neighbors’ doors glowing with firelight and hearing the sounds of singing, laughter, barking dogs, and crying babies echoing off the canyon walls. Think of all the many relationships that connected this community. What does your community mean to you?