Cliff Palace

Cliff Palace is a sightseeing stop in Cortez, CO, part of the San Juan Mountains guide. Cost: $25 to $50. Ranger-led tours run May 4 through October 21, 2026.

Cliff Palace Loop Rd, Mesa Verde National Park · Cortez, CO

Why you should go…

Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park, a sandstone village built by Ancestral Puebloans between about 1200 and 1300. Roughly 100 to 120 people lived among its rooms and 21 kivas. You can only go inside on a ranger-led tour, reserved ahead on Recreation.gov. The 45-minute walk covers a quarter mile, descends uneven stone steps and climbs four ladders, with an elevation change of 100 feet.

#cliff dwelling
#national park
#ranger tour
#ancestral puebloan
#archaeology

What's around here?

The closest stops to Cliff Palace, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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