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Cliff Palace

Mesa Verde National Park, CO
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Type: Ancient Ruins, Historic Sites
Activities: Group tours/walking tour
Description: An ancient cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park.
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191 reviews from our community

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    158
    28
    4
    1
    0
Date Rating
Snellville
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 22, 2013 NEW

When you see Cliff Palace in person, it is so much larger than it appears in the photos. I would suggest that you take photos with people in them to show the scale. It is unbelievable that we can still view these structures that were built so long ago and we can see how these people lived. I could not... More

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See 4 more reviews by Janice K for Mesa Verde National Park
Leawood, Kansas
Top Contributor
50 reviews 50 reviews
13 attraction reviews
Reviews in 24 cities Reviews in 24 cities
43 helpful votes 43 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 20, 2013 NEW

I had seen pictures of Cliff Palace, but seeing it in person was just stunning. It's not a place for someone with bad knees - lots of climbing steps and very beefy but rustic ladders. We're in our 60's and not in great shape, but with just a bit of resting on the way back up, we did just fine.... More

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Arlington, Virginia
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
6 attraction reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 19, 2013 NEW

Cliff Palace is definitely worth seeing, although, if you are physically capable, Balcony House is even better.

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See 2 more reviews by 50Continental_Drift for Mesa Verde National Park
Boston, Massachusetts
Top Contributor
65 reviews 65 reviews
20 attraction reviews
Reviews in 28 cities Reviews in 28 cities
16 helpful votes 16 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2013 NEW

When you first see Cliff Palace from above, it looks like a model, but as you walk through it it is overwhelming. Ranger guides are excellent. The crown jewel of Mesa Verde.

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See 4 more reviews by piotzar for Mesa Verde National Park
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 22 cities Reviews in 22 cities
22 helpful votes 22 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2013

Visited Mesa Verde in May so the weather was beautiful. We were able to stay in the campground (Morefield) with RV hook-ups (only 15 sites). The check-in process at the general store was easy and the clerk accommodating and informative. The campsite was great. Very private and quiet. Bathrooms were clean. The park itself is spectacular. The cliff dwellings are... More

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Hartford, Connecticut
Top Contributor
55 reviews 55 reviews
23 attraction reviews
Reviews in 36 cities Reviews in 36 cities
71 helpful votes 71 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 15, 2013

You absolutely need to do this tour! It is the only way to get closer to the structures and the park rangers are very knowledgeable and kind. The hike down is down a number of steps (probably 70 or so), a few narrow areas (between rocks) but it is not very strenuous at all. The ranger stops below for near... More

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See 2 more reviews by onebigfellah for Mesa Verde National Park
Winter Park FL
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 13, 2013

Wonderful tour...pre-trip info from ERIKA and pre and followup phone calls by ERIKA were appreciated...she did a great job! (of course, she's a UCF grad!) Warnings about altitude and ruggedness of Cliff House tour were accurate...boy...am I out of shape! Comment for Aramark...our tour guide Sharon (8am tour Friday 5/3) was extremely knowledgeable and interesting...at least what we could hear... More

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Cincinnati Ohio
Top Contributor
55 reviews 55 reviews
5 attraction reviews
Reviews in 29 cities Reviews in 29 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2013

Mesa Verde wouldn't be Mesa Verde without Cliff Palace. Don't be overly concerned about the warnings of strenuous and dangerous terrain and climbs. It's really quite sedate and safe. This is a wonderful experience in the Southwest part of Colorado.

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See 3 more reviews by NKyAdventurer for Mesa Verde National Park
Oklahoma
Top Contributor
151 reviews 151 reviews
50 attraction reviews
Reviews in 99 cities Reviews in 99 cities
47 helpful votes 47 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 11, 2013

I'm just too out of shape to actually go all the way to it but got some great pictures with my new camera. The Ranger was very good with his explanations and stories.

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See 2 more reviews by tigilau for Mesa Verde National Park
Munich, Germany
Top Contributor
56 reviews 56 reviews
14 attraction reviews
Reviews in 36 cities Reviews in 36 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 7, 2013

You shouldn't miss this tour. To see the palace from above is one thing, but to be face to face with it while the ranger explains how the people lived there, what they did, why aren't they there now and many things more, is just different experience. The rangers took care, that only one group at time was in the... More

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