Mesa Verde, meaning “green table” in simple terms, gives you an incredible peek into the everyday lives of the Ancient Puebloan folks who lived here for over seven hundred years. This place has about 4,000 known archaeological spots, including 600 cliff homes that are super famous and well-preserved in the US. People lived and thrived here from the 7th to the 14th century.
This park is up high in the thick forests of southwest Colorado, and deep canyons cut its southern edge. Because it’s quite remote, it wasn’t properly explored until 1888. The Ancient Puebloans, who were really skilled, are believed to be the main inhabitants. Others might have passed through at some point. After living on the flat tops of the mesas for ages, they eventually moved to the rocky alcoves on the canyon edges and built multi-story homes there.
The Cliff Palace is hands down the most impressive ruin, although Balcony House, Long House, and Spruce Tree House are also cool. This impressive structure is tucked 100 feet under an overhanging rock ledge, and it used to be home to over 200 people in its 217 rooms. A visit to this spot will give you a chilling sense of a world that’s now lost to time.
