Notable Sites at Mesa Verde

Cliff Palace: This ruin is the largest and best-known of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. The site has 220 identified rooms and 23 kivas. Although this and other Mesa Verde sites are large and well constructed, they demonstrate a long history of occupation and their architectural design is an aggregation of dwellings and storage spaces that developed slowly and randomly. Accurate archaeological information from this site has been limited due to several decades of digging and collecting at the turn of the Twentieth century.

Mug House: This ruin situated on Wetherill Mesa was professionally excavated in the late 1960s by archaeologist Arthur Rohn. The structure contains 94 rooms, in four levels, including a large kiva, with simple vertical walls and masonry pilasters. This ceremonial structure has a keyhole shape, due to a recess behind the fireplace and a deflector, that is considered an element of the Mesa Verde style. The rooms clustered around the kiva formed part of the courtyard, indicating the kiva would have been roofed.

Sand Canyon Pueblo: A very large open site, Sand Canyon Pueblo contains at least 420 rooms, 90 kivas, and 14 towers. The site was evidently chosen for a spring at the head of a small canyon. Excavations indicate that the pueblo was built to an architectural plan, and was constructed between 1250 and 1270. Additional residential rooms were added later. Distinct features include a D-shaped multiwalled structure and a great kiva, and characteristics which may be related to Chaco Canyon architecture.

Spruce Tree House: Located on Chapin Mesa, this cliff dwelling is easily accessible and well preserved. The site include a kiva with a restored roof which visitors can enter. Excavations indicate that this structure, like many other dwellings in Mesa Verde, was probably occupied for less than a century.

Square Tower House: The tower that gives this site its name is the tallest structure in Mesa Verde. This cliff dwelling was occupied between AD 1200 and 1300.

Mesa Verde Reservoirs: These ancient reservoirs, built by the Ancient Puebloans, were named a National Civil Engineering Historic Landmark on September 26, 2004.

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Hiking opportunities in Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde National Park is best viewed from the several hiking trails that envelope the park. There are six notable trails that highlight a handful of the most impressive of the over 4,000 archeology sites in the park. Some very important things to consider before you hike in Mesa Verde National Park are these: the park is a mesa or plateau that peaks at elevation 8,400 feet where some people have altitude issues; many of the hikes in Mesa Verde are strenuous, although short; dehydration is a serious threat to hikers at this elevation.

Most trails in the park range from a half mile to 2.5 miles, but the Prater Ridge Trail is a 7.8 mile loop with a short-cut that makes it 5 miles. All of the hikes highlight the beautiful archeology sites of park, but if you can only choose one hike, the Petroglyph Point Trail is a 2.4 mile hike that highlights a wall of petroglyphs atop the mesa as well as the sweeping canyons. This hike requires a permit and is only available when Spruce Tree House is open. Permits are also required for the Spruce Canyon Trail and can be acquired at the Chief Park Ranger's Office for Trails in the village area.

The hikes in Mesa Verde are considered strenuous due to elevation changes. People with breathing or heart conditions are advised to consider this fact. There is one easy hike, the Soda Canyon Overlook, which is 1.2 miles long. A couple of leisurely nature walks are also good for those who are not prepared for difficult hikes. The Farming Terrace, Wetherill Mesa and the far view archeology sites are all short walks suitable for all ages and abilities. Another option for those who are weary of the strenuous nature of the majority of the Mesa Verde hikes are guided tours. The Long House tour, a ¾ mile tour that involves some ladder navigation, is considered to be the most in-depth tour in the park. There are other guided tours available that require very little walking as well.

Due to the archeological nature of Mesa Verde National Park, visitors must stay on the designated trails or risk imprisonment and fines. Cliff edges are often fragile and dangerous and should be avoided. Trails can be another hazard when they get slippery and muddy due to both snow and rain. Dehydration is a serious matter and hikers should carry more than enough water, especially in the summer. No pets are permitted on the trails in the park. Also, due to fires over the recent years, shade may be limited on the trials. Definitely regard your health and the health of those in your group before you set out on the more strenuous hikes of Mesa Verde National Park. With consideration of safety issues, visitors to the park have a spectacular time.

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