Page was Last modified: July 19 2020.

Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is more well known than Aztec Ruins or Great Sand Dunes National Park. It was the home of Ancestral Pueblo from about A.D. 550 to 1300. For more than 700 years they and their descendants lived and flourished here. Then they abandoned the site and moved south into present-day New Mexico and Arizona.

We visited there many years ago with my parents and son. It was interesting to hear a gentleman telling his son about the time they (he and his son) visited with his son's grandparents. Brought back lots of memories.

The park is more crowded and the visitors more controlled than 40 years ago. But the information provided by the rangers help make up of the extra supervision.

Mesa Verde is a much older site than is Aztec Ruins and was occupied for a much longer time. It is amazing to consider the time and effort required to build all of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. There are several places where large numbers of dwelling are located and there are isolated caves where single dwelling are found.

Cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park
Cliff dwellings Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde is a much older site than is Aztec Ruins and was occupied for a much longer time. It is amazing to consider the time and effort required to build all of the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. There are several places where large numbers of dwelling are located and there are isolated caves where single dwelling are found.

Isolated dwellings  Mesa Verde National Park
Isolated dwellings Verde National Park