Park cover

Mesa Verde

  • Colorado

photo: Carol M. Highsmith

Why go there?

For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the archaeological treasures and rich cultural heritage of 26 Native American Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. Renowned for its well-preserved cliff dwellings, the park showcases the ingenuity and culture of these ancient inhabitants. Established in 1906, Mesa Verde encompasses over 5,000 archaeological sites, including iconic structures like Cliff Palace and Balcony House. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is home to over a thousand species of plants, including several that live nowhere else on earth.

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See some highlights

  • Video thumbnail

    37°20'9.62"N, 108°24'27.87"W

    Mesa Verde

    • Colorado

    National Parks in the History of Science: Dendrochronology

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    Center For Environmental Filmmaking

    • Conservation

    • Native-American history