Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. It was created in 1906 to protect some of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the world. The park features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the Ancestral Puebloan people, sometimes called the Anasazi.

Its canyons were created by erosion from receding ancient oceans and waterways, which resulted in Mesa Verde National Park elevations ranging from about 6,000 to 8,572 feet, the highest elevation at Park Point.

The climate is semi-arid. Water for farming and consumption by the Ancient Pueblo Peoples was provided by summer rains, winter snowfall and seeps and springs in and near the Mesa Verde villages.

The Anasazi inhabited Mesa Verde between AD 550 to 1300. These people were mainly subsistence farmers, growing crops on nearby mesas. Their primary crop was corn, which was also the major part of their diet. Men were also hunters, which further increased their food supply.

By 750 AD, the people were building mesa-top villages made of adobe. By the late 12th century, they began to build the cliff dwellings, which are structures built within caves and under outcropping in cliffs.

The cliff dwellings were built with obvious attention to managing solar energy. In the winter, the angle of the sun warmed the masonry of the cliff dwellings, warm breezes blew from the valley, and the air was 10-20 degrees warmer in the canyon alcoves than on the top of the mesa.

One of my favorite places in this country, just fascinating isn't it?! I'm not sure I'd brave the ladder to get down to them any more! :-) DancingDolphin · 2012-01-16: 01:21

beautiful set, I have seen this place many times on television, it's great giancaf · 2012-01-16: 01:49

This is a very interesting place! Thanks for sharing! momotaro · 2012-01-16: 04:18

It looks like a miniature nativity scene TFS this interesting set. MoMac · 2012-01-16: 05:16

it almost looks like a small model dollhouse type place from afar! They were so talented!! urmysunshine · 2012-01-16: 10:34

Wooooow ! Fabulous set, fantastic, marvelous shots Joe :)) josy63 · 2012-01-16: 14:58

WONDERFUL shots of this amazing place..I didn't have a great telephoto lens when we went years ago..super, Joe. NellyBly · 2012-01-16: 20:11

Fantastic place, Your beautiful photos just captured them all perfectly. Dropblue · 2012-01-17: 04:12

Great Set and History ,Art !! Thanks for sharing !! catdad · 2012-01-20: 18:39

an incredible place, and Joe, love the photos of it! Thank you for sharing these! ????? · 2012-01-20: 22:30

Wow Really interesting and incredible Great angles, architectures and colours Thanks so much for these beauties and informations helys · 2012-01-21: 11:52

wow, amazing set! fantastic place! tomie · 2012-01-21: 13:33

Photos and text are so interesting... as usual! CHOSSID · 2012-01-21: 21:41

wonderful place! Shaparak · 2012-01-21: 23:27

Soooo fascinating! We learn so much on PB. marilynx · 2012-01-22: 12:35

The most fantastic place in the entire counrty, I think! TFS! atszabo · 2012-01-22: 12:44

That's a place on my bucket list to visit...nice shots and info! threepeas · 2012-01-22: 15:59

i come back again...yours explanations are very interesting! we have too some cliff dwellings in middle and south of France but not so big! Anasazi was clever! tomie · 2012-01-22: 17:50

A great set! I definitely want to go there! mytts · 2012-01-23: 23:11

Fantastic set, interesting pictures! imrepapa · 2012-01-26: 16:23

What a piece of history. Great captures. I would love to get there some day. RayNvb · 2012-02-10: 10:13

Love this set, I've visited some cliff dwellings near Sedona, but they were nothing like these. Oweena · 2012-05-14: 12:27