Cliff Palace

Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America, located in Mesa Verde National Park. The structure was built by the Ancestral Puebloans and contains 150 rooms and 23 kivas, with a population of approximately 100 people. The palace was constructed primarily out of sandstone, mortar, and wooden beams, with colored earthen plasters decorating the walls. Visitors can explore the site and imagine what life was like over seven hundred years ago. The palace has a room-to-kiva ratio of 9 to 1, suggesting that it might have been the center of a large polity. A large square tower, restored to its approximate height and stature, is one of the most memorable buildings in Cliff Palace. The site requires continued assessment and maintenance to preserve its integrity, with natural factors such as rainfall and alcove spalling, as well as animals and insects, impacting the site's fabric