The Mesa Verde cliff dwellings are some of the most popular and most preserved ruins in North America.  The dwellings were built by the Ancestral Puebloans sometime during the late 1190s who began living in the pueblos they built under the overhanging cliffs below the mesa top.  Each of these structures ranged in size from one-room units to villages of more than 150 rooms. 

Balcony House

The Mesa Verde Balcony House is one of the park's most adventurous cliff dwelling tours in the park.  To enter, you must climb a 32-foot entrance   ladder and crawl through a short tunnel to enter the "medium size" cliff dwelling.  The Balcony House is made up of 40 rooms.  Mesa Verde Balcony House can be explored by ranger-guided tour only. Purchase tickets for one-hour tours at Far View Visitor Center.

Cliff Palace

The Mesa Verde Cliff Palace is the largest and most famous cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde.   Cliff Palace has over 150 individual rooms and more than 20 kivas, which are rooms dedicated to religious rituals.  The dwelling is crafted of sandstone, wooden beams and mortar and has been remarkably well   preserved from the elements for the past 700 years.  Cliff Palace Tours are included in several of the popular Mesa Verde tours such as the Classic Pueblo Tour, 700 Years Tour, and viewed from the Sun Temple overlook on the Far View Explorer Tour. Tickets to the National Park Service one-hour Cliff Palace Tour may be purchased at the Far View Visitor Center.

Long House

Mesa Verde Long House is located on Wetherill Mesa in the western portion of Mesa Verde National Park and is the second largest dwelling behind Cliff Palace.  The Mesa Verde Long House was excavated between 1959 and 1961 as part of the Wetherill Mesa Archeological Project.  Long House and Wetherill Mesa are only open between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.  Mesa Verde Long House can be explore by ranger-guided tour only. P purchase tickets for one-hour tours at Far View Visitor Center.

Spruce Tree House

Spruce Tree House is the best preserved cliff dwelling in the Mesa Verde National Park. It is the third largest cliff dwelling behind Cliff Palace and Long House and was constructed sometime between 1211 and 1278. The dwelling has around 130 rooms and 8 kivas and was estimated to be the home to around 60 to 80 people. 

Step House

Step House is also located on Wetherill Mesa along with Long House.  The Mesa Verde Step House is very unique because it is clear there were two separate occupations in the same site. A modified basket maker site, dating to 626, is situated between the old stone steps on the south and the large boulders on the north. The rest of the alcove contains a masonry pueblo dating to the Classic Pueblo times of 1226.  Step House is a self-guided cliff dwelling and can be entered before or after a Long House tour. Allow approximately 45 minutes to visit the site in addition to the 1-1/2 hour long tour of Long House. Step house is also only open between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.