Mesa Verde National Park

A national park in southwestern Colorado protecting the largest concentration of ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in North America. Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling on the continent with over 150 rooms and 23 kivas, is accessible only on ranger-led tours. Balcony House requires ladder climbing and tunnel crawling to enter. The mesa-top Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum and the Wetherill Mesa loop provide additional context without strenuous hiking. The park preserves over 5,000 known archaeological sites spanning 700 years of occupation.