Established as a national park in June of 1906, Mesa Verde is home to some of the most spectacular and well preserved cliff dwellings in the United States.
Mesa Verde was home to the ancient Pueblo people known as the Anasazi. They occupied the are from around 600 a.d. to 1200 a.d. To live in the area they built adobe villages and homes under the overhangs and outcrops of the many cliffs.
The first explorations of the area occurred towards the end of the 19th century. In 1874 the eminent photographer William Henry Jackson was the first to photograph and publicize the cliff dwellings. Exploration of the area continued over the next several years, eventually revealing some 600 different villages and dwellings.
They were given names like Cliff Palace, Spruce Tree House, Square Tower House and Balcony House.
No trip to the Four Corners region is complete without a visit to this magnificent park.
Mesa Verde was home to the ancient Pueblo people known as the Anasazi. They occupied the are from around 600 a.d. to 1200 a.d. To live in the area they built adobe villages and homes under the overhangs and outcrops of the many cliffs.
The first explorations of the area occurred towards the end of the 19th century. In 1874 the eminent photographer William Henry Jackson was the first to photograph and publicize the cliff dwellings. Exploration of the area continued over the next several years, eventually revealing some 600 different villages and dwellings.
They were given names like Cliff Palace, Spruce Tree House, Square Tower House and Balcony House.
No trip to the Four Corners region is complete without a visit to this magnificent park.
Aramis River, Durango, CO.
A mesa outside on Durango.
An example of a large dwelling.
A closer inspection.
A lot of people lived here.
Same spot. Different view.
The precision with which they built is amazing.
In the center of the picture, a solitary home.
The view of the canyon from one of the dwellings.
A smaller building site.
More bulidings.
A mor dilapadated example.
Makes you wonder how they got there.
Beautiful.
Notice how the adobe follows the curvature of the rock.
A view across a small canyon.
I can't even imagine the work involved in building this.
Closeup of one of the houses.
Inside one of the houses.
The trail to one of the cliff dwellings.
I believe this is the Cliff Palace.