How to Visit Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

If you are planning to visit Mesa Verde CO, then you are almost certainly doing so to see the native American cliff dwellings.  Mesa Verde National Park is not the only place in the US that you can see ‘Anasazi’ cliff dwellings, but it is arguably the most famous.  For a reason. 

The Mesa Verde Colorado cliff dwellings are some of the largest and best-preserved in the country.  Visiting them is to walk through and discover their fascinating history. 

I love Mesa Verde, but, before I went there, I found it quite confusing.  What cliff dwellings were available, what were worth seeing, how could I see them, and how did I get tickets?  Well, if you are feeling the same way, let me help take the confusion away.

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A Quick Orientation to Mesa Verde 

Before we start looking at the Mesa Verde dwellings, there are some important things to note. 

1. What does “Mesa Verde” mean?

A mesa (which literally means “table” in Spanish) is a small(ish) flat-topped hill with steep sides.  “Verde” is “green” in Spanish, named because of the trees on top of the mesa. 

In actual fact, Mesa Verde isn’t a mesa because it slopes down gradually at one side rather than having steep drop-offs on all sides, but let’s overlook that technicality.   

2. Mesa Verde is actually two separate mesas

Chapin Mesa 

This is where most of the major dwellings are.  It is the first mesa you reach when you drive up from the Visitor Center / park entrance at the bottom of the mesa. 

Wetherill Mesa 

This is smaller and less visited.  To get there, you need to drive up to Chapin Mesa first, then drive down from the beginning of the top of Chapin Mesa into the ravine between them, and back up again, so it is not quick.

It is a narrow, winding road that is closed from October to May.  Vehicles longer than 25 feet are not permitted on the road to Wetherill Mesa. 

There are only five cliff dwellings on Wetherill Mesa, but one of them is Long House, the second largest dwelling.  If you decide to visit Wetherill Mesa, allow about half a day. 

When is the Wetherill Mesa Road open?

The road is not open year round. It is closed October 31 (or earlier) to May 1 (or later).

It is usually open:

• May 1 (or as soon as weather/road conditions permit) to May 28: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. 
• May 29 to October 22: 8:00 am to 7:00 pm.  Long House and Step House can be visited during this time  
• October 23 to October 31 (earlier if weather conditions close the road): 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. 

NOTE: Wetherill Mesa will be closed for the entire 2024 season due to construction!

Travel Times in Mesa Verde National Park 

• To get from the Visitor Center near the park entrance (at the bottom of the mesas) to Chapin Mesa takes about 1 hour.   
• To get from the Visitor Center to Wetherill Mesa takes about 1.5 hours.   
• To get from Chapin Mesa to Wetherill Mesa takes about 1.25 hours.  

For more practical information on Mesa Verde, including where to stay, when to go, where to eat and how to get around, read my Guide to Visiting Mesa Verde.

3. What to call the original inhabitants

While you may see some reference online to the Anasazi, Mesa Verde staff now refer to the original inhabitants of this area as the Ancestral Puebloans, since they are the ancestors of the current Puebloan people. 

4. Cliff dwellings are in cliffs

This may seem obvious, but it’s important to be aware that the cliff dwellings are just that – they are built in overhangs in the cliffs that are below the top of the mesa. So you need to descend down into them (and ascend back out at the end). 

If you have mobility difficulties, then there are still overlooks from where you can see many of the dwellings.

5. Other things to do in Mesa Verde

Visiting the cliff dwelling may be the main reason to go to Mesa Verde, but there are more things to do. Check out my Top Ten Things to Do In and Near Mesa Verde and the Best Hikes in Mesa Verde for more details.

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Guide to Visiting the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

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How to Visit Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings 

We will take a look at each of the famous cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde in a moment, but first, a quick overview of how to see them.  There are basically four “types” of dwellings (from a sightseeing standpoint, not architecturally or historically-speaking). 

(1) Cliff dwellings that have daily, ranger-assisted tours 

These are the three major cliff dwellings and they all have (largish) tours throughout the day, every day in the season. 

The ‘tours’ aren’t tours per se.  This is actually more of a timed entry system.  You enter at the time on your ticket and move through the dwelling in a (large) group.  There are rangers spaced along the way to give information.   

Although there are ladders to climb, they are very wide and designed for mass use.  You do need to have a basic level of fitness, good health and regular mobility, but if you do, you should be fine. 

However, bear in mind that you will be between 7,000 and 7,500 feet (2,134m and 2,286m) above sea level, which can affect some people and make physical activity more difficult.  You should wear solid shoes or boots (read my Guide to the Best Hiking Shoes/ Boots if you need to buy some). 

Buying tickets for Mesa Verde tours 

You used to have to buy tickets for the ranger-assisted Mesa Verde tours in person, but now you can only buy them online. 

Tickets go on sale 14 days/ 2 weeks in advance at 8:00 am Mountain Time (so, for example, tickets for a June 21 tour go on sale June 7 at 8:00 am MT). 

You used to be able to get tickets fairly easily, but in summer tickets can sell out quickly. So, I recommend booking right at 8:00 am on the day the tickets get released.  You will book on the National Park reservation system recreation.gov.

Which cliff dwellings have regular ranger-assisted tours? 

A ranger-led tour is a 45-minute tour with a ranger leading groups.

• Cliff Palace
  • Chapin Mesa 
  • May 6 – May 11, 2024: 9:00 am, 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, and 2:30 pm
  • May 12 – October 22, 2024: 9:00 am to 11:30 am every ½ hour and 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm every ½ hour
• Balcony House 
  • Chapin Mesa
  • May 6 – May 23, 2024: 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm
  • May 24 – October 22, 2024: 9:00 am, 9:30am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm.
• Long House 
  • Wetherill Mesa 
  • Usually late May – late October
  • CLOSED 2024

(2) Cliff dwellings that have special backcountry tours 

There are several cliff dwellings that you can only see on a small tour that goes once or twice a day (or sometimes just a few times a season).  There are several dwellings in this category, but they are not all available every year. 

Each year some are closed for the full season to prevent damaging them from over usage.  For example, I saw Square Tower House and Oak Tree House, but Oak Tree House is not open for visitors in 2024.   

These tours are typically early in the morning and you go in a small group (just 10 people) with a guide. 

Getting to them is more difficult – rather than wide ladders that are easy to navigate, you may need to climb down narrow ladders or even use the steep footholds carved by the dwelling’s original inhabitants right into the cliff face. (There are ropes to hold on to, though, so it not really dangerous). 

Balcony House has a narrow section you need to crawl through. 

Several are at the end of long back-country hikes.  Summer temperatures can reach 100°F / 38°C, so you need to be fit enough and adequately prepared for these. 

For more information about hiking in Mesa Verde, read my Guide to the Best Hikes in Mesa Verde (that you can do without a guide).

They are a more intimate experience and you will have plenty of opportunities to ask the guide questions.  You will usually have more time there, and at some of them, you can even see artefacts like ancient corncobs, bits of pottery, etc. still strewn around.

However, the sites are smaller, less excavated and in some ways less spectacular than the main three in the ranger-assisted tours.  

If you are able to, I recommend visiting at least one of these, as the visit is quite different from the ranger-assisted tours to Cliff Palace or Long House. 

Buying tickets for backcountry tours 

You have to buy tickets online. The process is the same as for the ranger-led tours described above.  

Which cliff dwellings have backcountry tours in 2024? 

• Square Tower House (Chapin Mesa)
  • Start May 24, 2024
  • Reservations are available 14 days in advance on a rolling basis at 8:00am MDT

Tickets are $25 per person (all ages) for Square Tower House and $8 for Balcony House (TBC). 

(3) Cliff dwellings you can visit by yourself on a self-guided tour

There is one Mesa Verde cliff dwellings tour you can do by yourself, as a self-guided tour.  There is no cost (other than the park entrance fee) for a self-guided tour. 

Step House 

• Wetherill Mesa 
• late May to October
• NOT Available in 2024

See below for details 

(4) Cliff dwellings you can see from an overlook

You can drive around the top of the mesa and visit mesa-top sites and stop at multiple viewpoints to see various cliff dwellings. Most of them are fairly small (still very cool to see, of course), but a few on Chapin Mesa that are especially noteworthy are: 

• Cliff Palace. This can be visited on a ranger-assisted tour.
• Spruce Tree House. This is the best-preserved cliff dwelling, but instability makes it too dangerous to be open for visitors.  You can see it very clearly from behind the Chapin Archaeological Museum. 
• Balcony House.  Open for ranger-guided tours and you can see it from an overlook. Most overlooks are a very short walk from a parking area, but for Balcony House, you need to hike out to Soda Canyon Overlook.  It’s a 1.2-mile/ 1.9-km round trip mostly flat trail.   
• Oak Tree House.  This is open for special tours in some years, but not 2023.  However, you can still see it from an overlook.
• Square Tower House. This is open for special tours in some years, including 2023.  You can also see it from an overlook.
• Sunset House (small, distant) 
• Mummy House (small, distant) 
• Fire Temple (small, distant) 

On Wetherill Mesa, there are two cliff dwellings you can see from overlooks, but not visit: 

• Kodak House 
• Nordenskiold #16  

NOTE: Wetherill Mesa will be closed for the entire 2024 season due to construction!

Note that there are other places of historical interest on the top of the mesa, which I am not including in this Cliff Dwellings guide. 

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The Major Cliff Dwellings 

Although there are several Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in Colorado, Mesa Verde cliff dwellings are the most famous, well-preserved and concentrated in a fairly compact area.  Which makes seeing several of them during your visit to the national park relatively easy. 

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park 

The Cliff Palace is the largest and most famous Mesa Verde cliff dwelling.   

The Mesa Verde National Park cliff palace was built between 1190 CE and 1260 CE and abandoned by 1300 CE.  No one is quite sure why the dwellings were abandoned, though droughts and lack of food are thought to be likely reasons. 

There are 150 rooms and 23 kivas (round sunken ceremonial rooms).  It was home to about 100 people/ 25 families at its height.

Despite its name, it was not actually a palace, but is thought to have been a ceremonial site, as well as residence.  The site has been stabilized and partially reconstructed.   

You can see the dwelling in its entirety from an overlook before or after the tour and then walk through it.  This is one cliff dwelling not to miss. 

Location: Chapin Mesa  

How to visit Cliff Palace: Ranger-assisted tour 

What to Expect 

The tour starts at the Cliff Palace Overlook.  There are uneven steps, some areas with no handrails and four ladders (each 8 feet/ 2.6 m to 10 feet/ 3 m high) to climb down.   

Total elevation change is 100 feet/ 30m.  Total walking distance is about 1.4 miles / 400m roundtrip. You will go down to the dwelling and walk along the front of it.  At one point, you can look down into the kivas.   

Total time: Approximately 45 minutes 

How to Get Tickets 

• Mesa Verde Cliff Palace tour tickets need to be purchased online – see above for full details. 
• May 6 – May 11, 2024: 9:00 am, 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, and 2:30 pm
• May 12 – October 22, 2024: 9:00 am to 11:30 am every ½ hour and 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm every ½ hour
• Price: $8 per person | $1 infants 2 years of age and under

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Long House, Mesa Verde National Park 

Long House is the second largest of the Mesa Verde National Park cliff dwellings.  It has about 150 rooms and 21 kivas. There is a large dance plaza resembling ceremonial plazas used in modern Pueblo villages today. About 100 to 150 people may have lived there at its height, in the mid 1200s CE.    

Location: Wetherill Mesa  

How to visit Long House: Ranger-assisted tour 

What to Expect 

The tour begins and ends at the Long House trailhead (about a 20-minute, 0.75-mile/ 1.2km hike from the Wetherill Mesa Kiosk). Make sure you are at the trailhead (not the kiosk) at the start of your tour time. 

It’s a 2.25-mile/ 3.6-km roundtrip hike in total, which is quite a bit longer than Cliff Palace and Balcony House.   

To get there, the trail is paved, but goes down some fairly steep switchbacks.  You will need to climb two 15-foot (4.5m) ladders within the site.  Unlike many of the dwellings, you actually walk through the site, rather than just in front of it. One of the kivas has a roof (most don’t anymore). 

Total time: The tour is 60 minutes, but the National Park Service recommend allowing 1.5-2 hours in total, including the tour and the walk between the kiosk and the Long House trailhead. 

How to Get Tickets 

• Mesa Verde Long House tour tickets need to be purchased online – see above for full details.  
• Ranger–assisted tours are usually available late May to late October. 
• They are not available in 2024
• Price: N/A

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Balcony House, Mesa Verde National Park 

Balcony House is not the largest cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde, but, when it is open for tours, is the most adventurous of the main tours.  It was a mid-sized village with 38 rooms and two kivas and housed up to 30 people. It has been stabilized, excavated and partially reconstructed. 

Location: Chapin Mesa  

How to visit Balcony House:

• Ranger-guided tours are available:
  • May 6 – May 23, 2024: 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm
  • May 24 – October 22, 2024: 9:00 am, 9:30am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm.
• Tickets costs $8 | $1 for infants 2 years of age or under
• Tickets need to be purchased online

What to Expect 

The tour starts at the Balcony House parking area. You start by descending 100 feet/ 30 meters down stairs, then climb up a 32-foot / 9.7-meter ladder.  The ladder is very wide (two people can be side by side easily) and the rungs are thick and easy to hold on to. 

You then enter the first half of the village.  It’s in great condition, and you can peer through a window into the second section.  You have to walk around the circular kivas in the ground. 

Then, there is a 12-foot/ 3.6-meter tunnel that you need to crawl through.  It is only 18 inches/ 45.7 cm wide, so if you are on the heavier side, you should know this in advance to make sure you will fit through it. 

Once you’ve crawled through, you need to climb up more ladders and steep steps to get back to the top.  It’s interactive and interesting, but you need to be up for the challenge.   

Total time: Approximately 60 minutes 

How to Get Tickets 

Purchase them online.

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Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde National Park 

Spruce Tree House is the third largest – and best-preserved – cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde.  There are about 130 rooms and 8 kivas and was home to about 60 to 80 people.  It was built around 1211 CE to 1278 CE by the ancestral Puebloan people.   

Location: Chapin Mesa  

How to visit Spruce Tree House: Can only be seen from overlook 

What to Expect 

Unfortunately, it is closed to visitors because of safety concerns.  However, you get a great view of it from behind the Chapin Archaeological Museum.  

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Spring House, Mesa Verde National Park  

Spring House is the largest unexcavated cliff dwelling in the park.  It has 86 rooms and seven kivas. It is rarely open for visits, so a visit there is a special opportunity.  

Location: Chapin Mesa  

How to visit Spring House: Special tour/ backcountry hike 

What to Expect 

Spring House is reached after a long hike through the park’s backcountry.  The total trail length is 8 miles / 12.9 km and has an elevation change of 1,500 feet / 457 m, so you need to be fit to do it.   

The trail starts at the Chapin Archaeological Museum and descends into Navajo Canyon.  Along the way, you can see Echo House, Teakettle House and the Navajo Watch Tower in the distance. 

The trail starts to climb up the side of Wickiup Canyon, with a good view of Buzzard House across the canyon along the way.  It reaches the top of Long Mesa, and there are steep drop offs.  There is a view of 20.5 House before arriving at Spring House. 

To reach Spring House, which is below the top of Long Mesa, there are two ladders, some ropes and a narrow rocky trail to navigate.  You don’t enter the site, but can see it well from a platform at the southern edge of the dwelling.   

The national parks service recommends good hiking shoes/ boots (read my Guide to the Best Hiking Shoes/ Boots if you need to get some), lunch and snacks and at least one gallon/ 4 liters of water.  Make sure you have everything on my Day Hike Essentials list. 

Total time: Approximately 8 hours 

How to Get Tickets 

• This house is not open for visitors in 2024

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Step House, Mesa Verde National Park 

This is a fairly small site, with a cliff dwelling, pit house and some petroglyphs. 

Location: Wetherill Mesa  

How to visit Step House:  You can visit yourself on a self-guided tour 

What to Expect 

You will descend about 100 feet/ 30m down a winding path (that you return up). The total hike is about one mile (1.6 km) round-trip. The trail begins near the Wetherill Mesa Kiosk.  There is a ranger there to answer questions. 

Total time: Approximately 45 minutes 

How to Get Tickets 

Tickets are not necessary, but it is only open late May to late October. CLOSED 2024

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Mug House, Mesa Verde National Park 

This dwelling is named for three mugs that were found hanging tied together with yucca rope inside one of its rooms when it was “discovered”.  Mug House is a large dwelling, with 94 rooms and eight kivas housing about 80 to 100 people at its height.  It dates from the late 1100s and early 1200s CE.  

Location: Wetherill Mesa  

How to visit Mug House: Special tour/ backcountry hike 

What to Expect 

About 0.5 miles from the parking lot, the ranger leads you down through scrub until you get to the edge of a large cliff.  There, you use the same hand and foot holds that the Ancient Puebloans carved into the cliff to descend below the mesa top.

The trail passes a large snake pictograph and evidence of fires burned by the original inhabitants of this area. There are great views of Rock Canyon.  

Mug House is large, but not fully excavated.  As in several of the other dwellings visited on the special tours, you can still see remains of life in the space, such as corncobs, shards of pottery, etc.   

This is a strenuous 3-mile / 4.8-km round trip hike on an uneven trail that includes some switchbacks and steep drop offs. 

Total time: Approximately 1.5 hours 

How to Get Tickets 

• Mug House tours/ hikes are not offered in 2024

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Square Tower House, Mesa Verde National Park 

Square Tower House is named after the three-storey square tower that is the dominant feature of the dwelling. 

High above the tower, in a small crevice and bricked in, there is a Crow’s Nest.  On the ground, there is a kiva with its original roof and ample ruins to explore.  These can only be seen on the tour, as they are not visible from the mesa top.

There are several small petroglyphs that the ranger can help point out. It’s a fairly small, but fascinating dwelling.  

Location: Chapin Mesa  

How to visit Square Tower House: Special tour/ backcountry hike 

What to Expect 

Square Tower House is one of my favorite Mesa Verde sites.  It is reached on a short but adventurous one-mile/ 2.6 km round trip trail. 

You descend down two steep, narrow ladders (the longest is 20 feet / 6.1m), along narrow trails and steep steps with ropes to hold on to and even down footholds carved into the rock face that the original cliff dwellers used to access the dwelling.   

When you get there, you can walk along the front of the dwelling and you are allowed to walk in one small section of the complex. 

Total time: Approximately 1.5 hours 

How to Get Tickets 

• Square Tower House 90-minute tours/ hikes are offered starting May 24, 2024
  • 8:30 am – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• Tickets need to be purchased online – see above for full details.  There are only 10 people on each tour, so if you hope to do this, book the second that tickets go on sale. 
• Price: $25.00 per person (no matter what age)

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Oak Tree House, Mesa Verde National Park 

Special tours are not available in 2024, but this may be seen from an overlook.  Special tours run some years, and also include climbing down steep steps and ladders.  It is a fairly small site to explore.  

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Guide to Visiting the Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings

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Enjoy the Mesa Verde ruins! 

What are your favorite cliff dwellings? Colorado / Mesa Verde NP has plenty of others.  I’d love to hear about them.  Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know. 

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About the Author 

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