Mesa Verde National Park

Located in Southwest Colorado, this National Park preserves and celebrates the amazing 700-year cultural heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people in this area.  Showcasing the evolving architecture of these early people, the park highlights the amazing cliff dwellings they left behind.  As we visit the park, we’re reminded that these are sacred places and the descendants of the People are still here today making regular visits and leaving tributes to honor their ancestors.    

Morefield Campground

We reserved a site based on size and campground amenities (dry site, full hookup, etc.) months ago and at check-in instead of assigning us a site they directed us to a campground loop and told us to pick a site. This is a very unusual practice and not one we had encountered in a National Park before. But we found a site that worked well and set up camp.

After setting up we met the people in the site across the street from us and they warned us that they’d seen a bear in the campground a few hours earlier.  As much as we’d love to see it, we’re hoping it doesn’t come back.  If it does and becomes a regular visitor to the campground, the rangers will have to intervene and that’s rarely good for the bear.  

In the week we are here we didn’t see the bear but we did catch sight of a Mule Deer resting in the shade one afternoon. 

Overlooks along Mesa Verde Road

Our first day in the park we head out to view some overlooks and do a few short hikes.  Given we’re several thousand feet in elevation above normal, we thought starting out slow and giving our bodies a chance to acclimate would be a good idea before attempting some of the hikes we want to do. 

Montezuma Overlook

Montezuma Valley is the land of the Ancestral Pueblo People. In addition to Mesa Verde, this view shows the land where they once lived.  In the distance is Hovenweep National Monument and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument where we spent the past few days.  

On the right is what’s known as “Knife Edge.”  This narrow, steep road was one of the original park roads.  However, unstable soil made it very hard to maintain, so a bypass was established between Morefield and Prater Canyons where it remains today. 

Park Point Overlooks

The highest point in Mesa Verde at an elevation of 8,572 ft you can see 360 degrees from here.  

Geologic Overlook

The green plants and trees in the picture below are the result of natural seeps and springs. The water seeps through the sandstone until it reaches the shale layers which prevent it from going any further down. The water then travels sideways along the shale sometimes for years until it reaches an outlet in the canyon wall.  

Cliff Palace Loop

Cliff Palace Viewpoint

People lived in these 150 rooms and 21 kivas (community gathering place for meetings, celebrations, etc.) for over 700 years. According to the information board at the viewpoint… “Because of the large kiva to room ratio, some scholars suggest Cliff Palace was an important gathering place, perhaps an administrative center for many Ancestral Pueblo villages.”

Cliff Canyon Viewpoint

Just a little way South of Cliff Palace, from this viewpoint, we can see four different dwellings.

Beginning furthest south in Fewkes Canyon we see:

House of Many Windows – 15 rooms and 1 kiva

Site 634 – 16 rooms and 2 kivas

Sun Point Cliff Dwelling – 3 rooms on a shallow ledge

Mummy House – 12 rooms and 2 kivas

This one is actually on the east side of the canyon.

House of Many Windows Viewpoint

As we go a little further south on the loop road, we come across another viewpoint and this one gives us a better of “House of Many Windows.”  This angle lets us see that there are multiple levels of this community dwelling.  

Hemenway House

As we reach the southern end of the loop, we find a pullout for Hemenway House visible across the canyon.  The main portion of this community is immediately visible but the longer we look at it we realize it extends both directions along the canyon wall. 

Soda Canyon Overlook Trailhead

This short, easy trail (1.2 miles) is the only way to see Balcony House without going on the tour. Given the Balcony House tour is known as the most adventurous tour in the park and essentially serves as an hour-long guided physical obstacle course, this trail is also the best way for most people to see Balcony House.  

Balcony House

38 rooms and 2 kivas built into a natural overhang in the canyon wall.

Soda Canyon

The view from the overlook is quite vast.

Knife Edge Trail

Day 2 there’s rain in forecast on and off all day.  So, we decide to stay close to camp and walk in between the rain.  There are three trails that leave from the campground and after looking at the options we opt for Knife Edge. 

This trail is 2 miles and traverses along the old park road that we saw portion of yesterday. The views north and northeast are amazing.  

After lunch we get another short break in the weather and walk up to the amphitheater.  From here, we can see over Morefield Campground and the top of our camper.  We also catch sight of a white moth\butterfly on an Arrowleaf Balsamroot.

Wetherill Mesa

The weather today looks great so we head out to explore Wetherill Mesa on the western most section of the park.  Here we find several overlooks before reaching the Mesa. 

Overlooks

On the edge of Mesa Verde NP here we get a good view of some geology in Mesa Verde Wilderness.  

As we arrived at the 7th overlook (Rock Tower), we caught sight of what we believe was a fox. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good enough picture of it to confirm.

Wetherill Mesa Loop Trail

Once at Wetherill Mesa we take off on foot to do the ~6-mile loop trail that will take us through the Badger House Community, Kodak House, Long House, and Nordenskiöld House. The majority of this trail is paved and you can actually transport bikes here to ride the 6 miles vs walking.

Badger House Community

Basketmaker Pithouses – Mesa Verde’s first homes – they were dubbed Basketmaker Pithouses because the pits you see below are the foundation and the walls and roof were then woven over poles much like a basket.

Pueblo Village – This home was built and rebuilt over many generations until it became what resembles the first row houses. It was part of a much larger village that historians believe was inhabited by one lineage for over 200 years.

Badger House – Here we find the remains of what was once a two-story tower. It is connected underground to the far kiva via the longest tunnel found on the mesa (40 feet long). Many kivas were connected via tunnel to one of the over 100 towers that were scattered across this mesa.

Two Raven House – This typical Mesa Verde Home was inhabited from 850 – 1150 CE. There is evidence that these residents raised turkeys for their eggs in addition to gathering and hunting food.

Kodak House Overlook

It’s a long walk to get here but Kodak House is unique in that it’s built into a sheltered cul-de-sac along Rock Canyon.   Containing between 60 – 70 rooms, 8 kivas, and 14 communal areas.  It’s also built around the natural runoff path for summer storms and the people here built several check dams creating very fertile terraces behind them.  

On the way to Long House we catch sight of a few of these colorful fellows. It’s an Eastern Collared Lizard.

Long House Overlook

This house is available via tour, but we’re only visiting it via the overlook.  It’s the second largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde containing ~150 rooms, 21 kivas, and a large central plaza.  

Nordenskiöld House Overlook

This is 1-mile round trip from the main trail traverses the head of the canyon and down the other side to reach a good viewpoint back at the canyon wall we were just walking along.

After having a picnic lunch at the visitor kiosk, we head out on the Step House trail to complete this section of the park. 

Step House

Normally a loop trail, this unique house is one you can go inside without having a tour ticket. Part of the path is currently being refurbished, so it’s an out and back trail for us today.

It highlights two distinct styles of architecture (early pit houses & masonry cliff dwellings) built centuries apart. We also find a wall of petroglyphs as we’re touring the dwellings.

Spruce Tree Area

This morning’s weather looks great but there are high winds moving in this afternoon.  So, we head out early for the Spruce Tree area of the park.  Once parked, we load up with hats, and water packs to head down our chosen trail of the day…  Petroglyph Point Trail.  

Petroglyph Point Trail

This 2.4-mile loop trail warns visitors it is narrow, rugged, rocky, and requires a little scrambling up a large stone staircase just after the petroglyph panel.  We all agree we’re up for the challenge and set out to see the promised canyon views and petroglyphs. 

Views

Ruins & Petroglyphs

Along the trail we find a small set of ruins under a ledge as well as the promised petroglyph panel.

The views were everything promised, the petroglyphs were good (but not exceptional), and the trail was a lot more technical (bordering on dangerous) and slow going than we were led to believe.  We took several breaks to rest our legs along way and helped each other up and down steep staircases to make sure everyone got off the trail safely. 

Check Dam

As we reach the end of the trail and near the museum, we are forced to cross an old check dam which creates fertile land behind it used by these ancient people for farming. 

Spruce House Overlook

Across from the museum is the Spruce House Overlook giving us an incredible view into Spruce House and all along the ledge where ruins can be seen. Constructed during the mid 1200’s this dwelling contains ~130 rooms and 8 kivas.  

After a picnic lunch in the shade outside the museum, we walk around the buildings before heading in to watch the park movie and see the artifacts on display. The movie is interesting, but the museum itself was very small with few exhibits.  

Square Tower House Tour

This morning we head out early for our scheduled tour through Square Tower House. We learned chatting with other park visitors the other day that this is the hardest tour in the park to book. We knew it was limited to 10 people (one of the reasons we chose it), but what we didn’t realize is that it’s only conducted once per day.

Overlook

We arrive a little early so we head out the overlook to get some pictures of where we’ll be touring.

The tour begins at the overlook trailhead and heads down a side path to descend into the canyon via stone steps and ladders. Along the way our Ranger tour guide tells us the history of the canyon, the people, and about the decades of change the people endured before finally moving on to other areas of the country.

As we near the end of the trail we begin to see the main tower of Square House in front of us.

At the end of the trail Square Tower House is on display directly in front of us and we’re able to walk right up to it.

Throughout the tour we learn that Square Tower House is not only one of the earliest permanent homes built on the mesa (1200 – 1300 AD), but it also includes the tallest standing architecture in the park.

Mesa Top Loop

This 6-mile loop contains 11 stops highlighting the changing architecture in Mesa Verde over the seven centuries the Pueblo people called this area home.

#1 – Pithouse 600 AD

#2 – Navajo Canyon View

Here we’re encouraged to look at the landscape as if we were one of these ancient people and try to identify the natural resources that would make a good place to build.

#3 – Square Tower House Overlook

Shown during the tour recap above.

#4 – Pithouse & Early Pueblos 700 – 950 AD

Here we find the original style pithouse built next to an early pueblo.

#5 – Mesa Top Sites 900 – 1100 AD

This site has three villages built on top of each other.

#6 – Sun Point Pueblo 1100 – 1200 AD

There is a large village here that’s yet to be excavated. All they’ve uncovered so far is the base of the tower and connected Kiva.

#7 – Sun Point View 1200 – 1300 AD

There are over 30 cliff dwellings tucked into alcoves and ledges in the canyon below. We were only able to spot 10 of them.

#8 – Oak Tree House 1200’s AD

#9 – Fire Temple & New Fire House 1200’s AD

#10 – Sun Temple 1250 AD

This is the only building of its kind in the Pueblo world.  It’s unknown what purpose it served but historians think it was likely a communal building.  With 24 rooms and three circular structures inside, there were no roof beams or household goods found.  It’s unknown if it was left unfinished or if a roof was intentionally omitted.

Top down view inside

The last stop is a view of Cliff Palace, but it doesn’t compare to the view we were able to get at the overlook a few days ago.

Point Lookout Trail

For our final day in the park we’ll do the Point Lookout Trail from the campground amphitheater. This 2.2 mile roundtrip trail heads directly uphill via switchbacks for over 400 ft before leveling out to walk along a ridge to the lookout point.

Trail views

Lookout views

What a fantastic trail! The views are amazing and doing it early in the day allowed us to see for miles.

Next stop… Chimney Rock National Monument