Situated in Southwestern Colorado and covering 52,485 acres, the Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt, with the purpose of preserving and interpreting the archaeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people. More than 700 years ago, the park was inhabited by these Native American peoples between 600 and 1300 CE. Roughly 5,000 known archaeological sites are protected by the Mesa Verde National Park, with some 600 cliff dwellings as the most notable sites. Mesa Verde is translated "Green Table," which reflect early Spanish explorers’ impression of the Southwest region, that featured many tall landforms with flat tops and steep sides, covered with green trees and bushes. The unique cultural and physical landscape of the Mesa Verde National Park makes it an unparalleled national wonder. This national park is known for several incredible landmarks that sets it apart from other U.S. National Parks.

Cliff Palace: This cliff dwelling originally comprised of 150 rooms, 23 kivas or rooms for religious rituals and housed some 100 inhabitants. It is the largest cliff dwelling in the park. To reach this dwelling requires a 100 foot vertical climb of uneven stone steps and ladders. Sandstone, wooden beams and mortar were used to craft this amazing structure, which is well-preserved to this day.

Located on Wetherill Mesa in the western portion of the park, Long House is considered the second largest cliff dwelling in the park. It was excavated between 1959 and 1961 as part of the Wetherill Mesa Archaeological Project. It is almost equal in size to Cliff Palace and features a 298" long alcove with a curving back wall and beams that dates from A.D. 1145–1279.

Balcony House is a medium-sized cliff dwelling that boast well-preserved rooms, kivas and plazas. It has some 40 rooms and offers adventure, with tunnels to crawl through and ladders to climb up the cliff face.

At roughly 2.6 miles, Petroglyph Point Trail features beautiful wild flowers and is the second longest of the hiking loops in Mesa Verde National Park. Appropriately named, the canyon path traverses around the cliff and leads to the largest panel of petroglyphs in the park.

As the best preserved cliff dwelling in the park, Spruce Tree House is situated on the northeast wall of Spruce Tree Canyon and is the third largest of the cliff dwellings. It has a natural sandstone arch present in its alcove. A 2015 rockfall led to the dwelling being closed to the public.

Mesa Verde National Park reveals the history and culture of a people who created a unique civilization, with incredible pieces of their existence preserved to this day.