As the largest cliff dwelling in North America, the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park is truly a sight to behold. It’s impressive whether you’re viewing it from afar, across the valley on the viewing platforms, or up close and personal during the Cliff Palace tour. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing both perspectives. During my first visit to Mesa Verde National Park. in 2022, I viewed the Cliff Palace from a distance, seeing it uncluttered with tourists due to it being closed for tours at the time. During my visit two years later, in 2024, I joined the Cliff Palace tour, which provided a close-up encounter with the delicate architecture and rich history of this ancient dwelling. Both experiences were different yet equally impressive.
Built by the Anasazi, also known as the Ancestral Puebloans, the Cliff Palace in southwestern Colorado’s Montezuma County, located near Cortez, Colorado, is a marvel of ancient engineering and architecture. This impressive cliff dwelling, constructed between approximately 1190 CE and 1260 CE, is currently 764 years old. The construction took around 70 years to complete, with a significant portion of the building erected within just 20 years. Despite the monumental effort that went into its construction, the Anasazi inhabited the Cliff Palace for only about 20 years after its completion. Theories suggest that increasing competition and changing climatic conditions, including severe droughts, may have driven them to abandon the site. By 1300, the Cliff Palace was officially deserted, left to stand the test of time until its accidental rediscovery in 1888 by Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason, who stumbled upon it while searching for stray cattle.
Created primarily out of sandstone, mortar, and wooden beams, the Cliff Palace is evidence of the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Anasazi. Constructing such an enormous structure high up on a cliff face, especially with the limited tools available at the time, is truly impressive. The Cliff Palace contains 23 kivas (round sunken rooms of ceremonial importance) and 150 other rooms, many of which were believed to be shared living quarters. Archaeologists estimate that the palace housed upwards of 100 people, potentially making it one of the first apartment buildings in the United States. However, some archaeologists believe the Cliff Palace functioned more as a community center than residential housing. The Cliff Palace’s relatively small doorways and windows have also sparked curiosity. The widely accepted theory is that the average height of men during that time was around 5 feet 6 inches, while women averaged around 5 feet, which could explain the small dimensions.
As mentioned, the Cliff Palace is located within Mesa Verde National Park and is its crown jewel. While you can appreciate and enjoy Mesa Verde without touring the Cliff Palace, I highly recommend the Cliff Palace Tour based on my experiences. Having visited twice – once without a tour and once with one – I can attest to the added value of the tour in fully appreciating the park. Be forewarned, though, that tours of the Cliff Palace are top-rated and tend to sell out very quickly. The park opens tour bookings only about two weeks before the desired visit date. For instance, you can’t book a tour even a month ahead. To secure our spots, I set a calendar reminder for two weeks before our visit, on the day the booking opened up. When the booking window opened on Recreation.gov, I quickly reserved our four spots. If you’re not among the first to book a tour on your intended visit day, you might find all the tours fully booked, especially the further into summer it gets.
While tours tend to sell out quickly, you should be able to secure a spot if you book right away. There are numerous tour times, which vary in frequency depending on the time of year. During the spring, until May 11th, tours run five times daily at 9:00am, 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:00am, and 2:30pm. During the peak season, from May 11th to October 22nd, tours start at 9:00am and run every half hour until 11:30am, then resume from 12:30pm to 3:00pm, again running every half hour. This gives you 11 tour times to choose from. We booked the 2:00pm tour and had no issues doing so. However, again, to guarantee a spot, I set an alarm and booked on the exact day that tours opened up for our visit date – something I strongly recommend. Tours of the Cliff Palace officially close on October 23rd for the season.
Also, the park rangers require visitors to arrive at least 15 minutes before their scheduled tour time, as they provide a short, 15-minute briefing at the top viewing deck before allowing the group to descend towards the cliff dwelling. However, I suggest arriving at the Cliff Palace parking lot at least 45 minutes before your tour time (I’d personally make it an hour). While this might result in some waiting around, it helps guarantee you won’t miss your tour due to parking issues. On our 2:00pm tour, three people had reservations for the 1:30pm tour but claimed to have missed it because they couldn’t find a parking spot. This is a plausible scenario given the popularity of Mesa Verde during peak season and the limited parking available. Fortunately for them, our tour guide was very forgiving and allowed them to join our 2:00pm tour. However, not all tour guides will be as accommodating. To avoid any issues, ensure you arrive well in advance to find a parking spot and make it to your tour on time.
As mentioned, you must descend to the Cliff Palace. While the Cliff Palace is situated… wait for it… on a cliff, you don’t access it by going UP, but rather, DOWN. All roads within Mesa Verde are above the cliff dwellings, so all viewpoints look down into the valley below, allowing you to view the cliff dwellings from above. The Cliff Palace is no different. While the trek down can be precarious for some, my mother, who had double knee replacements two years ago, and my seven-year-old both managed it with ease (albeit slowly). The staircase down is man-made, carved out of the surrounding rock face, and can be narrow, somewhat steep, and occasionally slippery. It’s not overly difficult but best approached with care. Additionally, there is one ladder you must climb up just before reaching the Cliff Palace.
The journey back up is slightly more challenging but manageable. The path is a loop, descending on the west side of the palace and ascending on the eastern side. The return path is just as narrow, involving man-made stone steps and three ladders. I was initially concerned that both my mother and daughter might have difficulties, but surprisingly, both handled it with ease. The ladders feel very secure, and none of us encountered any issues. It’s something to be aware of, and the park rangers will make this abundantly clear during their briefing talk.
We spent about 45 minutes on our Cliff Palace tour, with 15 minutes above during the briefing and 30 minutes down near the Cliff Palace. You cannot walk into the cliff dwelling or explore the various rooms, and will not be permitted to. Much of the tour involves sitting or standing to the side, listening to the park ranger give a history of the Cliff Palace, the surrounding area, and the Anasazi, and answering any questions the group may have. We spent around 10 minutes sitting just outside the palace, listening to the ranger talk, before he allowed us to walk past – not through – the Cliff Palace, eventually stopping near a kiva on the other side. We listened to him for another 10 minutes as he provided more historical context. The last 5 minutes are generally spent on the journey back up. While not being able to explore the rooms is naturally disappointing, it’s not surprising given the delicate nature of the cliff dwelling and the immense need to preserve it. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, visitors were allowed to explore inside, but this was not beneficial to preserving this archaeological wonder. Today, strict preservation measures are in place to ensure the Cliff Palace remains intact for future generations.
Lastly, tour sizes typically range from 20 to 50 people, with our tour comprised of about 35 participants. Tours cost $8 per person and can be booked via Recreation.gov, either online or through the app. You must print your tour reservation at home or download it to your phone to show the ranger before joining the tour. There is no cell service within the park, so ensure you’ve taken a screenshot of your reservation! Without a valid tour reservation, you will not be permitted to join. Any tour may be delayed or canceled due to lightning near the tour location or a park emergency. All tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable unless the National Park Service cancels the tour. There are no refunds for missing your tour, and late arrivals may result in forfeiting your tour at the tour guide’s discretion.
Overall, touring the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park offered a remarkable glimpse into the history and culture of the Anasazi, despite the limitations on exploring the dwelling’s interior. The experience is well worth the effort and planning required to secure a spot on the tour. While Mesa Verde National Park may not be one of the most accessible National Parks, it’s still somewhat conveniently located near numerous large cities. It sits approximately 4 hours from Albuquerque, 4.2 hours from Santa Fe, 6 hours from Colorado Springs, 6.5 hours from Phoenix, and 8 hours from Las Vegas and Amarillo. Both times I visited were during Southwest road trips, as many other well-known spots within the Southwest are nearby, making Mesa Verde National Park, and the Cliff Palace, a perfect stop on any Southwest road trip. If you love history and enjoy unique experiences, touring the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park is a must!
