Archaeology Study of Mesa Verde Indian Ruins Spatial Meeting

In the southwest corner of Colorado, Mesa Verde is home to some of the best-preserved Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings in the country. In 1906, Mesa Verde became the 10th national park — and the first in the world to “preserve the works of man.”

The park’s ruins are an amazing testament to humanity’s ingenuity in overcoming hardships of the unforgiving Four Corners region.

While the park protects over 5,000 known archaeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings, only five dwellings are open to the public. Most visitors don’t know that there’s a series of special guided backcountry hikes to archaeological sites. These are normally off-limits to the public, and the park doesn’t even advertise them. So if you want in, here’s what you need to know.

Explore and learn more about the Mesa Verde Indian Ruins.