Mesa Verde National Park

After driving 53 miles north from New Mexico, we arrived in Durango in time for our 45th wedding anniversary. We had a very nice dinner in downtown Durango at The Roost to celebrate. 

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde was created as a National Park in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people. This National Park sits atop and around a huge flattop mesa. Mesa Verde is Spanish for "green table".  It had been a long time since we had visited here, so we thought we would spend another day exploring the area. We actually visited sites that we didn't have time to see previously.

If you look closely, you can see the park road as it climbs and curves to the top of the mesa.

We took the Mesa Top Loop as well as the Wetherill Mesa Drive.

Spruce Tree House 1200-1278

The Spruce Tree House is the third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde.

This pueblo was named for the towering fir trees that were mistaken for spruce trees.

Square Tower House 1200-1300

At 27 feet tall, Square Tower House is the tallest remaining structure in the park.

Pit Houses 550-750 

Before the cliff dwellers, the first Ancestral Pueblo people lived in pit houses.

This pit house was reconstructed in 1960.

Cliff Palace House

This is North America's largest cliff dwelling, with over 150 rooms and 21 kivas.

Step House Trail

We took a mile and a half self-guided hike down to Step House. Fortunately, the approaching thunderstorm veered to the south.

This is the only cliff dwelling you can visit without reserving a ranger guided tour.

Step House is at the end of the Wetherill Mesa. 

Two villages from two different time periods occupied this area. The pit house builders during the late 500-600 and the cliff dwellers who occupied this area in the 1200's.

Petroglyphs under the cliff and chipped into the stone are still visible today.

One of the kivas of the Step House pueblo.

Park Point Fire Tower

Park Point is the highest point in Mesa Verde at 8,572 feet.

Distant isolated afternoon thunderstorms made an interesting sky.

The fire tower is still staffed, but not as much now due to modern technology.

View of Sleeping Ute Mountain.