Mesa Verde National Park is not just a National Park, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site located just outside of Cortez, Colorado. The park includes over 600 Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, the most picturesque being Cliff Palace. Cliff Palace is thought to be the largest cliff dwelling in North America. This area was inhabited as early as 7500 BC, and the Pueblo people called it home from 600 to 1300 CE. The cliff dwellings provided warmer air in the winter and protected the inhabitants from the harsh sun in the summer. You can see a few of the cliff dwellings along the park scenic drive, including Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Long House, and Step House.
