Mesa Verde National Park preserves a spectacular remnant of the Anasazi Indian culture, with magnificent cliff dwellings, pueblo villages and well-preserved pit-houses dating from c. 600-1300 A.D. Among the more notable cliff dwellings are the Square Tower House, Spruce Tree House, Balcony House, Far View House and Cliff Palace, one of the most spectacular of the Anasazi pueblos. Mesa Verde also has several earlier mesa-top complexes. The remains at Mesa Verde are some of the best-preserved and most dramatic in the United States.

The Mesa Verde Administrative District, which lies within the Mesa Verde National Park, is a National Historic Landmark. Mesa Verde National Park is 10 miles east of Cortez, Colorado, on U.S. 160. It is 21 miles from the park entrance to the park headquarters. The park is open on a limited basis in winter. Far View Visitors Center is open daily from 8:00am to 5:00 pm (May to September). Please call 970-529-4631, or visit the park's website for further information. Mesa Verde National Park is also a designated World Heritage Site.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "Discover Our Shared Heritage American Southwest, A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary: List of Sites." http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/sitelist.htm.

Photo taken by and courtesy of Shannon Bell