2024 Road Trip - Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is a World Heritage site containing cliff dwellings and archaeological sites of the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived there from 550 to 1300 CE. The park contains over 5000 sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. Several of the dwellings can be seen from view points off the main road. We were able to explore the Balcony House dwelling via a guided ranger tour. The tour was a bit adventurous as it involved climbing tall ladders and crawling through narrow passage ways. We learned that the rectangular buildings were not homes, but primarily used for storage. The families lived instead in large round covered holes called kivas. The people didn't die out, but migrated to other lands after the resources in the area were depleted. The park was definitely a unique experience and well worth a visit.