Cliff Dwellings Mesa Verde National Park
The Mesa Verde Dwellings are one of North America’s most prominent archeological sites, after living on the mesa top for about 600 years, the people of Ancestral Pueblo also called the Anasazi moved to live beneath hanging cliffs. They built dwellings ranging from single rooms to 150 rooms for entire villages. And this archeological wonder is still in excellent state of preservation today. The Puebloans lived like this for more than a century until they migrated south to what is now New Mexico and Arizona.
The occupation of the Massa Verde is believed to have ended by early 1300 but these remarkable structures still fascinates present-day archeologists and tourists. Over 600 structures were built in cliffs around the four corners of the U.S in Colorado, New Mexico,Arizona, and Utah.These structures were not only used as dwellings, some were used for storage and others for rituals.
Visitors can tour the Mesa Verde independently or go on a guided tour with a ranger. Hiking is another excellent war to explore the cliffs, with trails available for novice and expert hikers. To enjoy the changes in vegetation and elevation take the 7.8 Miles round-trip Prater Ridge Trail, or the Knife Edge Trail. Climb up to Point Lookout Trail for a top view of the Mesa, panoramic views of Montezuma and Mancos valleys, and the awesome countryside surrounding it.
