What is Mesa Verde?

Mesa Verde, Colorado

National Park

The area has changed very little in 700 to 800 years.
To the prehistoric inhabitants called the Anasizie, these canyons provided food and shelter.
The 600 hundred cliff dwellings within the park, was constructed between 1200 and 1276 AD. By the Anasizie people.
One of them, called the Spruce Tree House has 114 rooms and 8 kivas or ceremonial chambers.
Due to the protection of the overhanging cliff, the house deteriorated very little.
Mesa Verde National Park was founded in 1888 by local ranchers.
No attempt has been made to reconstruct areas which were in ruins.
These first settlers I the time of Christ, were hunters and farmers. For more than 700 years their decedents lived and flourished here.
Then in the late 1200’s with in a span of two generations they left their homes and moved away.
Every since local ranchers first saw the cliff dwellings a century ago, archeologists have been trying to understand the Anasizie lifestyle. Despite decades of digging our scientific knowledge of these people are sketchy.
The Mesa Verde national Park covers 52000 acres. Tucked into sandstone alcoves in the canyons are more than 600 dwellings, these stone masonry dwellings stood inhabited for over 700 years.
This is a very interesting place to go. It is unbelievable the dwellings could have lasted all these years.
Located inn the Southwest part of Colorado, near Cortez.
Being a large park there is a loop drive, with about 10 pull out stopping spots. There is an information and museum, also a café and restrooms.
Plan an all day trip. There are tours you can take with the rangers. You can go inside of the dwellings. This is a lot of walking and climbing.
Viewing them from the road we had no trouble seeing all we wanted to see.
It is an experience you and the children will remember for a lifetime.
www.mesaverdecountry.com
www.npca.orrg
www.mesaverderesort.com
www.colorado.com