Mesa Verde is home to many cliff dwellings, pueblos and pit houses. This region was home to about 40,000 people as late at the 1200s AD. Current tribes who trace their ancestors to this area include the Pueblo, Hopi, Ute, Navajo and Apache. Many still consider this a sacred place and return to make pilgrimages to reconnect with their ancestors, share knowledge and gather medicines.Point LookoutPit house, circa 595 AD.Navajo Canyon.Navajo Canyon.Square Tower House, circa 1200-1300 AD.Pit Houses and Pueblos, circa 700-950 AD.Pit Houses and Pueblos, circa 700-950 AD.Pit Houses and Pueblos, circa 700-950 AD.Pit Houses and Pueblos, circa 700-950 AD.Pit Houses and Pueblos, circa 700-950 AD.This large, deep, and impressive kiva, built about 1074 AD, is part of the last village built at this site.Sun Point Pueblo, circa 1200s AD.Sun Point View. This is the Sunset House.Oak Tree House, a fifteen room cliff dwelling.New Fire House, twenty-two room cliff dwelling.Fire Temple, circa 1250 AD.Sun Temple, circa 1250 AD.Sun Temple. Sun Temple. Cliff Palace. This is the star of the park. With park rangers, visitors can climb down and up ladders to see and walk through some of the rooms. We saw the palace from across the canyon. Close up of the left side.Close up of the right side.
