Mesa Verde National Park is one of the best places to know more about ancient culture. Mesa Verde is Spanish for green table. The park has more than 5,000 archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. Mesa Verde is the largest archeological preserve in the U.S. The park also offers adventurous trails and stunning views. Here we have mentioned the top places to visit at Mesa Verde National Park.
Cliff Palace
Cliff Palace is the most popular spot in the Park offering the best view in the park. It is the largest and most famous cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park, has over 150 individual rooms and more than 20 kivas.
It is also the most photographed spot in the park. You get the best view from the Cliff Palace Overlook. The other place to get the best view of Cliff Palace is Sun Temple. The best time to visit the Cliff Palace is during the sunset or sunrise.
Balcony House
Balcony House is a medium size cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde it has 40 rooms. To hike to Balcony House you need to take a ranger-led. You get to experience the most adventurous route to a cliff dwelling.
The hike are offered from late April to mid October. It is one of the most challenging tours at Mesa Verde. A visit to Balcony House allows you to walk through ladders, heights, and small spaces, and also gives you the opportunity to explore the common areas of a mid-sized, 40-room dwelling.
Long House
Long House Trail is a 2.1 mile moderately trafficked trail located near that features a river. It is located at the end of Wetherill Mesa, one of two mesas the park makes available for the public. It is considered the second largest cliff dwelling in the park.
To hike to the Long House you need a ranger-guide. It is a two-hour ranger-guided tour that involves hiking at least 2.25 miles, and climbing two 15-foot ladders. The tour ends at the Long House trailhead. The trail to the cliff dwelling is a series of paved switchbacks and stairs.
Petroglyph Point Trail
Petroglyph Point trail 2.4-mile loop trail is narrow, rugged, and rocky, with several steep drop-offs. The petroglyph panel is located 1.4 miles from the Petroglyph Point Trailhead. The Trail offers stunning views of Spruce and Navajo Canyons and takes you past a large petroglyph panel.
You get to see a large petroglyph panel seen along the trail, which represents the written language of the people who inhabited this canyon. It covers an area over 35 feet wide which has more than thirty human and animal figures, spirals, and handprints.