Cliff Palace sits on a shelf about 100 feet down from the mesa top. The inhabitants of this area farmed the mesa tops but lived in the alcoves. It is thought to have housed several family groups.

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A unique feature of this park is the ability to actually tour several of the ruins with a ranger. The hike to and from Cliff Palace involved climbing five 10-foot ladders on a 100-foot vertical climb. It was tough but well worth it.

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Cliff Palace as the sun was going down. This photo was taken from the mesa top across the valley from the dwelling. What an incredible structure it is.

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A visit to this area just wouldn't be complete without a visit to Four Corners. It is here that the states of Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona meet. This area is on Navajo land so we also got to see the wares of the Navajo (for sale of course!)

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Here a Navajo woman shows how sand painting is done. It was amazing how she could do this freehand.

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Driving around the park one has the ability to see many different cliff dwellings. This one is called Longhouse.

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Another example of the cliff dwellings here at Mesa Verde.

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Riding through the Wetherill Mesa area on a tram we were not only able to see more cliff dwellings but also an unexcavated site. Because of the fire a few years ago, many shards of pottery have come to the surface. Although it might be difficult for you to see, this picture has several pieces of the black and white pottery these clans made.

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