Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park - Cliff Palace

Cliff Palace in 1889 Before Restoration
We are huge fans of the National Parks, and we're doing our best to visit each and every one of them. Today we visited Mesa Verde National Park, the only national park set aside "to preserve the works of man." 52,073 acres; 8,100 acres of designated wilderness. The Ancestral Pueblo moved into the Mesa Verde area by AD 550 and occupied the Colorado Plateau region until AD 1300. There are many, many sites located in the park and in the entire Four Corners area and archeologists have compiled one of the most significant chapters in the story of prehistoric America.

I was particularly impressed with the beauty of the geology in the area. Plateaus, rock outcroppings, and cliffs go on for miles and miles. We were particularly impressed with the cliff dwellings and Cliff Palace was no exception.

Park Rangers go to great lengths to let you know you need to be able to climb ladders and shouldn't be afraid of heights. At Cliff Palace we took the park tour that required us to climb five 8 to 10 foot ladders, including a 100 foot vertical climb to exit.

The dwellings have been explored extensively. There are numerous rooms and chambers - beyone what we were allowed to explore. The ruins have seen significant repairs in an attempt to slow their decline. Cliff Palace was discovered in 1888 by two cowboys, and the park displays photographs of the site taken in 1889 before exploration and repairs were undertaken. It is fascinating how the Puebloans established such elaborate communities.
Cliff Palace Today