Cliff Palace
The largest cliff dwelling in North America, with about 150 rooms and 23 kivas tucked into a sandstone alcove. It is the signature site of Mesa Verde.
The Ancestral Puebloans built and lived here from about 1190 to 1280. Entry to the ruins requires a ranger-led tour, which takes about an hour and involves climbing a roughly 3-meter wooden ladder and walking up stone steps. Tours should usually be reserved in advance on recreation.gov, and the fee is about 8 dollars. If you don't take the tour, you can still see the whole site from the overlook on the Cliff Palace Loop. The site sits at about 2,100 meters above sea level, so bring sunscreen and drink plenty of water.
Opening hours
Tour season approx. 9:00 am–5:00 pm (per NPS)
Nearby sights
- Balcony House
- Mesa Top Loop Road & Sun Temple
- Square Tower House
- Petroglyph Point Trail
- Spruce Tree House
- Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum
- Wetherill Mesa (Step House & Long House)
- Far View Sites Complex