In Photos: Mesa Verde National Park
a little history…
One of the most interesting places I’ve visited in the US is Mesa Verde (Spanish for “green table”) National Park in Colorado. In 1978, Mesa Verde was named a World Heritage Site because of its archaeological and cultural relevance. It protects thousands of archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings that became home to Ancestral Puebloans for over 700 years (AD 550 to 1300).
Mesa Verde is most well known for structures like Cliff Palace, known to be the largest cliff dwelling in North America and for having the highest concentrations of archaeological sites in the United States. Mesa Verde is unlike any other national park I’ve visited. Most national parks are dedicated to nature’s wonders whereas Mesa Verde is all about the wonderful works of man. The park does an incredible job of creating a link between the past and the present ways of life.
Spruce Tree House
( the park’s best preserved cliff dwelling)
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Mesa Verde, CO 81330
- (970) 529-4465
- Website: Mesa Verde National Park