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Balcony House, Mesa Verde National Park

4.9

#2 of 22 in Things to do in Mesa Verde National Park

Ruin Historic Site Must See

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Join an intimate ranger-guided tour and explore Balcony House, the 13th-century cliff dwelling built by the ancestors of the Pueblo Indians. Be prepared to climb ladders, crawl through tunnels, and descend into a canyon via a 30 m (100 ft) long staircase. The archeological site was first discovered by a group of entrepreneurs in 1884, but nearly 30 years passed before the archeologist Jesse Nusbaum excavated this mid-sized dwelling with 40 rooms in 1910. The one-hour tour is somewhat physically challenging and if you suffer from claustrophobia or fear of heights, you might want to skip it. Put Balcony House on your schedule, and learn what else deserves a visit by using our Mesa Verde National Park travel website.

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Balcony House Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

860 reviews

Google

4.9

• By Sue L

  The Balcony House at Mesa Verde was amazing. Just the sheer construction and how it has stood the test of time. Just amazing!  more »

• By 943ritaj

  Loved this hike so much. The ruins are so interesting and the ranger did a great job on explaining the history. The hike was a blast! Ladders, tunnels, chains and I loved it. If you are afraid of....  more »

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Google

• By Eve and Mark Jones

  Amazing. If heights aren't your thing, my suggestion is to put that fear aside or just push right through it. There are a few ladders to climb, but if you follow the ranger's suggestions, you'll be fine. This place is really beautiful, and you need to see it!

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• By Sierra Knodle

  Had a tour from Ranger Faith who was so enthusiastic, charismatic and AMAZING. Honestly, the best National Park tour I’ve had all summer (out of 7 parks!). I prefer this tour over Cliff Palace since we could get closer to the sites (seep spring, kivas, storage rooms, etc) and the climbing/tunnels were fun.

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