Don’t Miss These 11 Historic Things to Do in Mesa Verde For First-Timers
American history doesn’t go back very far relative to some other countries around the world. So, it’s a rare occasion to be able to transport over 700 years straight into the culture of the ancient Pueblo people at Mesa Verde National Park. The park is home to many cliff dwellings, including the largest of its kind in North America.
I vanlifed for two years, road-tripping through many ancient American architectural finds, but none were quite as impressive as this. Here are the best things to do in Mesa Verde National Park you can’t miss, with the best experience being the guided tour of Cliff Palace itself.
1. Tour Cliff Palace
You’ve probably seen pictures of Cliff Palace: it’s the biggest cliff dwelling in North America! Built under a cliff overhang by the Ancestral Puebloans, it has around 150 rooms and 23 kivas and was once home to over 100 people.
To see it, you’ll need to book a ranger-guided tour, which lasts about an hour and involves crawling up some walking, stairs, and ladders. The tour is only available in the summer months.
2. Explore Balcony House
If you plan your trip well, you can probably check out both Cliff Palace and Balcony House in one morning since they’re pretty close to each other.
Cliff Palace is definitely the most adventurous tour in the park, thanks to the 32-foot ladder and the 12-foot tunnel you have to crawl through. Balcony House is a bit smaller than Cliff Palace, with just 40 rooms, but it was cleverly built into a deep alcove for defense. The only way in is through that 12-foot tunnel.
Like Cliff Palace, you’ll need a ranger-led tour to visit.
3. Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum
The Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum has a cool collection of artifacts that highlight the lives of the Ancestral Puebloans. You can find their pottery, jewelry, and tools, with some pieces dating back over 1000 years! You’ll also see a detailed diorama of a typical Puebloan village, showcasing its amazing architecture, close-knit community vibe, and impressive farming techniques.
4. Spruce Tree House
Just outside the museum is Spruce Tree House, the third-largest cliff dwelling in the park. While you can’t tour the interior due to rockfall risks, you can still admire this well-preserved site from a nearby overlook. Built between AD 1211 and 1278, it once housed up to 80 people.
5. Hike Petroglyph Point Trail
Get your hiking boots ready for the Petroglyph Point Trail! This 2.4-mile round trip starts near the museum and descends about 100 feet into Spruce Tree Canyon.
The path then winds around the mesa’s base, showcasing many cool petroglyphs etched into the sandstone. After checking out the petroglyphs, the trail gradually climbs back up to the canyon’s rim before leading you back to where you started.
Travel Tip! Grab a free permit at the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum before hitting the trail!
6. Visit Long House
Long House is the second-largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde, boasting over 150 rooms and 21 kivas. To get there, you’ll need to hike a two-mile round trip on a gravel path, passing some neat petroglyphs and old farming terraces.
When you arrive, you’ll be blown away by how big and intricate it is with its multi-storied rooms and open spaces.
Just like the others, you can only visit via a ranger-led tour.
7. Drive the Mesa Top Loop Road
The Mesa Top Loop is a self-guided driving tour to 12 easily accessible archaeological sites. This 6-mile loop shows off the evolution of Puebloan architecture, from early pit houses to more developed pueblos.
Both Square Tower House Overlook and Sun Point View have amazing panoramas of Cliff Palace and other cliff dwellings.
8. Far View Sites Complex
The Far View Sites Complex has several above-ground structures slightly different from the cliff dwellings. This area was a farming hub later in the Puebloan period (AD 900 to 1300), with farming terraces and homes that once housed hundreds of people.
The complex gives you a broader view of daily life and resource management in Mesa Verde.
9. Pull Over For the Mesa Top Ruins Road Views
Stop by Montezuma Valley Overlook, Park Point Lookout, and Geologic Overlook. At Montezuma Valley Overlook, you can see an area where the Ancestral Puebloans used to farm. The Geologic Overlook offers gorgeous views of the Mancos Valley and the mountains in the distance.
10. Hike to Park Point Lookout
I want to highlight Park Point Lookout, the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park at 8,572 feet. It’s just a 20-minute drive from the park entrance to overlook the Four Corners region.
The half-mile round-trip trail takes you through pinyon-juniper woodland to a fire lookout tower. From the viewing platform, you can enjoy breathtaking 360-degree vistas of Mesa Verde’s cliff dwellings, Montezuma Valley, the La Plata Mountains, and even Shiprock in New Mexico on clear days.
11. Give Yourself a Self-Tour of Step House
Step House stands out among Mesa Verde’s attractions because it highlights two different periods of Ancestral Puebloan life. It’s the only place where you can take a self-guided tour.
One part looks like the old pit houses, while the other has those cool multi-story rooms. The trail is about 0.8 miles round trip and has a 100-foot climb.
Sample One Day in Mesa Verde Itinerary
Travel Route! There’s only one entrance to the park on Highway 160. From there, quite a drive up the mesa, past a fork at Far View Lodge, dividing Wetherill Mesa from Mesa Top Loop and Cliff Palace Loop.
- After the visitor center, start your day trip at Park Point Lookout, the highest point in the park.
- Take a ranger-guided tour of Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
- Alternative Options: Balcony House Tour. Or maybe you want to do both.
- Explore the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum and the Spruce Tree House.
- Hike on the Petroglyph Point Trail for ancient rock carvings.
- Drive the Mesa Top Loop Road.
- If you still have time: Take the afternoon in Wetherill Mesa doing a self-guided tour of Step House or another guided tour of Long House.
Places to Visit with More Time
Like most national parks, there’s just too much to see and do in one day. Here are a few cool spots in Mesa Verde National Park worth checking out:
- Cliff Canyon Overlook: Views of Balcony House reached via a short, paved trail from the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum.
- Nordenskiold Site No. 16: Located near the Cliff Palace Loop Road, this site features a small cliff dwelling and petroglyphs. It’s not open to the public but can be viewed from the road.
Day Trips from Mesa Verde
For those venturing beyond Mesa Verde National Park, these are fascinating destinations for a day trip.
- Hovenweep National Monument: See prehistoric villages built along the canyon rims.
- Four Corners Monument: Stand in four states at the same time!
- Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: A historic train ride through the Colorado landscapes and canyons of San Juan National Forest.
- Shiprock: This beautiful rock in New Mexico that rises dramatically from the flat desert plain.
Catherine, a seasoned travel writer, has lived in 4 different states and explored 36 states and 28 national parks. After spending two years embracing van life, she's now dedicated to sharing her vast knowledge of day trips across America. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.
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