Cliff Dwelling Tours

A ranger with white hair and mustache gestures with hands while visitors gather around listening
A tour of Long House with Ranger Joe

NPS/Kayla McCraren

To enter all cliff dwellings you must have a reservation on a ranger led tour. The full 2024 tour season will begin May 12th, with very limited number of tours per day starting on May 6th to accommodate staff training.

Tour reservations can be made only on recreation.gov or by calling the toll free number 1-877-444-6777. Reservations are available 14 days in advance, 8:00 am MDT, on a rolling daily window. For example, reservations for May 12th will be available starting April 28 at 8:00 am MDT. Demand for tour reservations is high. We recommend making a rec.gov account in advance and reserving a spot as soon as they become available.

 
Graphic that reads Make a reservation now at: Recreation.gov Recreation logo has an A as a tent, I as a tree, and O as a compass.
Make your tour reservations 14 days in advance on recreation.gov


Cliff Dwelling Tours

Cliff Palace

Cliff Palace is a world-famous masterpiece of architecture and design and the largest cliff dwelling in North America. Built between 1190 and 1280 CE, Cliff Palace was once home to over 100 people. Today, it stands as a testament to the engineering and artistic achievements of the Ancestral Pueblo people. On this tour, you will descend uneven stone steps and climb four ladders, with an elevation change of 100 feet (30 m). Total walking distance is 1/4 mile (0.4 km).


On this 45-minute long tour, rangers lead groups through one of the largest and best-known ancestral sites in the park. You will climb over 100 feet down a very steep, irregular sandstone staircase, and climb up four 8-10 foot ladders on this tour. For a virtual tour of Cliff Palace, go to https://go.nps.gov/CPvideo.
The full 2024 tour season will begin May 12th.
May 6 - May 11 9:00 am, 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, and 2:30 pm
May 12 - October 22 9:00 am to 11:30 am every ½ hour and 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm every ½ hour
Times subject to change for circumstances such as safety and staffing.


Balcony House

A tour of Balcony House is one of the most adventurous in the park and not for the faint-of-heart. You will scale the face of a cliff via several tall ladders, squeeze your way through a narrow tunnel on your hands and knees, and explore some of the same passages used over 800 years ago! For those ready for the challenge, this tour offers you the chance to follow in the footsteps of the Ancestral Pueblo residents who lived there.

On this one-hour tour, you will climb a 32-foot (9.8 m) ladder, crawl through an 18-inch wide (45 cm) and 12-foot (3.7 m) long tunnel, and climb up a 60-foot (20 m) open cliff face with uneven stone steps and two 17-foot (5 m) ladders to exit. For a virtual tour of Balcony House, go to https://go.nps.gov/BHvideo .
The full 2024 tour season will begin May 12th.
May 6 - May 23 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm
May 24 - October 22 9:00 am, 9:30am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm.
Times subject to change for circumstances such as safety and staffing.


Backcountry Tours

On these special tours, rangers guide groups into the park's backcountry to visit the park's lesser-seen cliff dwellings.
Backcountry tours held once daily starting May 24th.

Square Tower House

Featuring the tallest standing structure in the park, an intact kiva roof, original plaster and paint, and plentiful rock art, Square Tower House is one of Mesa Verde's most impressive cliff dwellings. Visitors to the Mesa Top Loop can get a great view from the overlook, but intrepid hikers are treated to an adventurous and intimate look inside Square Tower House on this special ranger-guided tour.

This strenuous 90-minute, 1-mile (1.6km) roundtrip hike is along an unpaved, uneven trail that descends 100 feet (30 m), and includes steep drop-offs, switchbacks, and two ladders (the longest is 20 feet [6.1m]). Each hiker must be able to scramble over boulders and navigate steep gravel trails unassisted.

Other Backcountry tour sites may become available as the tour season continues.


 
View of Square Tower House
View of Square Tower House

NPS

Your Receipt Is Your Ticket

No ticket will be provided, so you must have a copy of your receipt to go on the tour. Because cell service is extremely limited, we cannot access reservations at tour sites. Please take a screenshot of your receipt or print a paper copy before you arrive at the park and bring it with you to show the ranger before your tour. Please see your ticket receipt or visit recreation.gov for further details.

Last updated: March 28, 2024

Park footer

Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 8
Mesa Verde National Park, CO 81330

Phone:

970-529-4465

Contact Us