The park is famous for ancient cliff dwellings, which were built on the cliffs of a mesa (plateau) that towers over distant plains. This diagonally tilted view attempts to capture the overall look.

As mentioned previously, we were trying to go on some hike or other every day, and Mesa Verde was no exception. Here the green valleys (note: Armin claims that verde means green) can be seen clearly.

The ancients reached the dwellings via an elaborate network of ropes and ladders. Once there, Armin stopped to contemplate the surroundings.

In the previous photo, Armin is standing near a circular opening called a Kiva. These were covered, and yours truly enjoyed climbing out of one of them.