Mesa Verde National Park in Southwest Colorado contains the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo (also known as the Anasazi) people. These dwellings date back to the years 600 to 1300, making them some of the oldest and best preserved buildings in the United States.

To visit the Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or Long House, you will need to join a ranger guided tour. These tours can be purchased in person at the Far View Visitor Center. While there are lots of areas of the park to visit that aren't on the tour, you should purchase your tickets as soon as you get to the park in case they sell out.

There is nice camping at the park in the Morefield Campground. There are 435 sites, so it rarely fills up. The campground is below the mesa, so it tends to be warmer than the cliff dwelling sites. The camping season is only from May to October.

The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum has exhibits of artifacts found in the park's cliff dwellings, and also has a film about the Ancestral Pueblos and Mesa Verde. You can also find other visitor services near the museum.

If you want to go on on a self-guided tour, Spruce Tree House is behind the Chapin Archeological Museum. You can hike down the path to the cliff dwelling at your own pace, except in the winter where it becomes a free ranger-guided tour.