Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde was the inspiration behind the Antiquities Act of 1906, a landmark decision in conservation. The Antiquities Act enabled President Roosevelt and succeeding Presidents to proclaim historic landmarks, historic or prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest in Federal ownership as national monuments. Mesa Verde National Park in Southwest Colorado was established on June 29, 1906, and is home to thousands of archaeological sites and hundreds of cliff dwellings where Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and cliffs thousands of years ago.

At the centerpiece of Mesa Verde National Park is Cliff Palace. It remains one of the best examples of a late prehistoric cliff dwelling in the American Southwest. In the summer of 1909, Jesse Walter Fewkes, detailed by the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, led a team to repair the Mesa Verde National Park ruins. This excavation and repairs continued from May to August, and they were able to repair the dwellings suitable for tourists and students to visit and learn more about the cliff dwellings. Read more about this effort and view some of the amazing photos in H. Doc. 61-991 - Antiquities of the Mesa Verde National Park Cliff Palace, by Jesse Walter Fewkes. [Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin 51.]

This National Park was one of the first seven World Heritage Sites in the United States. The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added it to the list in September 1978 for cultural recognition. World Heritage, as defined by UNESCO, "... is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Essentially, it is the American national park idea being carried out worldwide." National Park Service (NPS) In 2021, Mesa Verde was certified as the world's 100th International Dark Sky Park . "This certification recognizes the exceptional quality of the park's night skies and provides added opportunities to enhance visitor experiences through astronomy-based interpretive programming." In addition to protecting the rich cultural heritage of Pueblos and Tribes and giving visitors a view into the past, this park is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on Earth.

Visitors can explore almost 30 miles of park trails. Still, the National Park Service asks that those visiting respect the grounds by staying on the trails and leaving cultural and natural resources where they are found. Learn more about planning your visit, knowing your limits, and visiting with respect.

Additional Article Sources and Resources

• Search the Congressional Serial Set collection on GovInfo for other related documents. As additional volumes of the Serial Set become available, they will be added to this collection.
• Read more about Cliff Palace's centuries of deterioration and ongoing preservation efforts on NPS's webpages.
• See what other archeological sites the National Park Service manages, and learn more about other World Heritage Sites in the U.S.
• Explore the U.S. Geological Survey website to see how the geology of Mesa Verde affected the landscapes and people.