At 74 years old and not as strong as I used to be, I was a little leary of climbing the 32-foot, almost vertical ladder in order to gain entrance to the Balcony House ruin in a huge overhanging cliff alcove at Mesa Verde NP. But I bought a ticket for the Ranger-led walk; the Ranger prepared us well for the various challenges we would encounter during our tour and this gave me confidence that I could do it.
When I got on the big ladder, I just took my time, looked straight in at the cliff, not down, as I climbed, and before I knew it, I was clambering out onto the flat surface by the incredible ancient Pueblo buildings!
The 12-foot-long “tunnel” we had to crawl through to get to the exit area bothered me, too, since I sometimes get claustrophobia. But I just asked the people behind me to give me a little distance and not crowd me, and I made it thru just fine.
I spent 2 and a half days at Mesa Verde in October 2018. I was so glad for the excellent information about the Balcony House ruin itself and the preparation for our tour that the Ranger gave us, because to have missed seeing Balcony House up close would have lessened the joy I experienced at seeing much of Mesa Verde National Park.
Sincerely,
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
“as Ken Burns has said, they are one of America's BEST IDEAS, and also because they preserve a lot of good habitat for wildlife and plant species.”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}-
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…
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now