Of the 58 National Parks in the U.S., many go unnoticed. Sure, everyone has been to Yellowstone and probably a few other parks throughout the country, but I’d bet not many of us have been to more than a handful.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Mesa Verde National Park and boy was I surprised. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but after I did some research, I realized, “Oh, that’s where those Navajo cliff dwellings are.”

I’m sure most everyone has seen pictures of the famous Cliff Palace or other ruins in history class, but until you see it up close you don’t realize how impressive these structures really are. Another surprise is that there are over 600 cliff dwellings in the park as well – some which appear nearly impossible to reach, let alone build.

If you are going to Mesa Verde, everyone will tell you to visit Cliff Palace, which is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. While I agree it is impressive, I would rate it my least favorite of all the sights to visit (if you have a couple of hours, go; but you really see the entire thing by looking at it from the road). My personal favorite was Long House because tour groups are significantly smaller – ours was about 12 people – and you were able to go to the back of the ruins – something you are unable to do in most of the other sites. Also, most of the park rangers I spoke with said Long House was their favorite tour.  Balcony House is also very impressive because of its inaccessibility. To get to the dwellings, you have to climb a 30 foot ladder, climb through a tunnel and exit by climbing stairs carved into rock.

If you are camping, the campgrounds in the park are excellent. There are free showers, fire pits and educational programs every night. I would recommend bringing your own firewood because it is $7 dollars a bundle at the park convenience store and you’re not allowed to gather wood once inside the park. If you’re looking for a fun weekend camping trip, Mesa Verde is a good fit because you don’t need more than two days to get the full effect.

Dan Sorensen is a Salt Lake based public relations professional that prides himself in his quirky antics. When he’s not working for the man, you can usually find him doing something outdoors, traveling or playing Xbox. For the writings, rantings and ravings that don’t make it past the editor at www.dottingthemap.com, Dan runs a personal blog at www.sorensenpower.blogspot.com. He also declares himself a Twitter fiend, where he’s known only as @sorensenpower.

Tags: Mesa Verde, National Parks

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