Greetings from Mesa Verde National Park

In arid New Mexico is this lesser know gem. It is well cared for, has excellent trails and interesting guides and exhibits. Indigenous people lived here during the Stone Age and for over 2 hundred years. They built these amazing cliff dwellings, accessible now by ladders. Their thick walls protected the people from the heat. This is the view from across the canyon of some of their homes. No one knows why they abandoned the site, but there are many conjectures. Spring and fall are the best times to visit, unless you really like triple digit heat.

Sincerely,
Carolyn

Mesa Verde National Park

This World Heritage Site preserves more than 600 cliff dwellings typical of the Ancestral Puebloan culture, which lasted from about 450 to 1300. The allure of this park is not only the remarkable ruins, but also the mystery of the people who inhabited them.

State(s): Colorado

Established: 1906

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More Stories

  • Greetings from Mesa Verde National Park

    We received excellent historical, cultural, architectural, and environmental information about the pueblos, sites, and original inhabitants throughout the park.

  • Greetings from Mesa Verde National Park

    We moved to Colorado in 2021, and the first national park we visited when we moved was Mesa Verde National Park. I had fond memories of going there as a child and vividly remembered the cliff dwellings. Our boys loved touring the dwellings, and there was a Park Ranger there…

  • Greetings from Mesa Verde National Park

    My brother-in-law's father, Jim Atkinson, was a park ranger at Mesa Verde National Park where I had the distinct pleasure of taking a tour with him in 1999. Without his knowledge and guidance, I wouldn't have learned anything about the history of the park. Park service staff and rangers' matter,…

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