Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park, located in Colorado near the Four Corners region, was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people, both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below. Comprised of 52,485 acres with more than 4000 sites and 600 cliff dwellings, it is the largest archeological preserve in the United States. Some of the cliff dwellings are open to self-guided tours, such as the Spruce Tree House near the Visitor Center, and others are only available via ranger led tours. The first day we were there (in June 2015) we drove through the park taking in views at the many overlooks, ending the day with a walk down to the Spruce Tree House. There isn't much definitive information on the lives of the ancients who occupied this region from 550 CE through the early 1200's, spanning over 700 years, but there are many clues as to how they may have lived, and archeologists have given us their best interpretations based on what they left behind. Wandering through what remains of these ancient people was fascinating and I spent much time imagining what their lives must have been like. Here are some pictures from our first exploration of the park.