By far, one of the most amazing experiences on our vacation (for me, anyway) was exploring Mesa Verde. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and you can see why:
Mesa Verde was home to the ancestral Pueblo people, who lived there from 600 to 1300 AD.
We toured the Spruce Tree House on our own.
Spruce Tree House – the best preserved of all of the cliff dwellings |
Then we joined up with a larger group for a Ranger-led guided tour of the Cliff Palace.
I included this shot – same view as the 1st photo – to give perspective on how large the structure is. |
Ever resourceful, the builders used any convenient materials to chink and shore up the building structure…including used corn cobs. |
Finally, we took a more challenging Ranger-led guided tour of the Balcony House.
30-foot ladder to access the site |
Balcony House is so-named because of the balconies within the dwelling |
These pits are called “kivas.” They were underground ceremonial and family spaces, and would have originally had wooden roofs. Roofs were plastered, forming a nice plaza at surface level. |
The tour included a tight tunnel to get from one side of the site to the other (and the exit!). |
The most challenging part of the tour was the rock face hike out. Yikes! |
I would encourage you to put Mesa Verde on your list of must-see places in the world. UNESCO has…and for good reason. It is a unique and very special place.