Mesa Verde National Park (māˌsə vûrdˈ, vûrˈdē) [key], 52,122 acres (21,109 hectares), SW Colorado; est. 1906. It includes the most notable and best-preserved cliff dwellings (see cliff dwellers) and relics in the United States, covering four archaeological periods. There are museums and a library. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is to the west. See National Parks and Monuments (table).
See D. A. Smith, Mesa Verde National Park (1988).
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