Mesa Verde National Park, CO Photos

Mesa Verde National Park is characterized by steep cliffs where ancient native American peoples built protective dwellings reached by steep climbs. The multistory Cliff Palace is probably the first highrise building in the Americas.

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Mesa upon which Mesa Verde National Park sits.	Mesa once home to Pueblo natives now Mesa Verde National Park.	Landscape on approach to Mesa Verde National Park.	Rock formation of butte in Mesa Verde National Park.

Striated butte in Mesa Verde National Park.	Canyons of Mesa Verde National Park.	Cliff Canyon along Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.

Visitors examine one of round Kiva ceremonial chambers at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Details of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Round tower at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Stone walls forming living rooms & Kivas at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.

Round tower at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Square tower at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Towers & Kivas of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Rock formations which form caves used by early native settlements at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.

View of mesa top from Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Architecture of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Four story tower under cave overhang at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Defensive grain storage structure in cleft of rock at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.

Round tower at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Towers in caves of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Ancient masonry structure of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Kiva detail with fire pit, air deflector wall, ventilator chimney hole plus benches for ceremony attendees at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.

Towers in cave at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Support poles & petroglyphs inside tower at Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park.	Cliff Palace seen lengthwise in Mesa Verde National Park.	Soda Canyon in Mesa Verde National Park.

View across Soda Canyon to cave holding Hemenway House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Hemenway House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Hemenway House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Rock formations with small stone houses beside Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.

Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Ladder descending into Kiva at Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Houses built into caves at Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Kiva detail where small hole beside fire pit is symbolic entry to underworld at Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.

Kiva detail at Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Water marks on cliff overhang at Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.	Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park.	Climb to Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park.

Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park.	Climb up from Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park.	Prehistoric highrise Square Tower House at Mesa Verde National Park.	Petroglyphs in Mesa Verde National Park.