mesa verde balcony house tour

Thank you for supporting Local Adventurer. Located in the Albertson's Grocery Store Parking Lot. There were also older people in their 60s and 70s on the tour. The Wetherill Mesa information kiosk is a 12-mile (19 km) drive along the Wetherill Mesa Road (begins near mile marker 15). 7:14 Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park 2017 Martin Johnson - Off Grid Living 443K subscribers 273 8.4K views 5 years ago Balcony House Mesa Verde National. The park's towering cliffs and sweeping vistas set the stage for an awe-inspiring adventure. We walked the whole length of the cliff dwelling, and there was plenty of time to get a lot of photos and look around. To enter, you must climb a 32-foot entrance ladder and crawl through a short tunnel to enter the "medium size" cliff dwelling. You have to click fast to get these tickets!! Gaze at geological formations spread across four states and see a historic fire lookout at this panoramic place, the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park. Review of Balcony House Reviewed August 19, 2013 This was my concern one month prior to our trip, and seconds before going thru the "test tunnel" and finally thru the real deal. The Balcony House tour requires visitors to descend a 100 foot staircase into the canyon; climb a 32 foot ladder; crawl through a 12 foot, 18 inches wide tunnel; and clamber up an additional 60 feet on ladders and stone steps. AHH, as a claustrophobic the narrow passages are way too much for me, but glad I could vicariously live through this experience . Did you know that we still dont have a definitive answer on why they lived this way? Mesa Verde Long House is reached by driving a 12-mile winding road that leaves the main park road just before reaching Far View Terrace. Balcony House is by far the most adventurous to reach for reasons described below. Vehicle length is restricted to 25 feet or less and vehicle weight is . It really wasnt too bad to crawl through, like I said it wasnt long..I had my winter coat on and a back pack and was fine! All photos were shot with a 5D Mark III & 35mm prime lens. Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own! Copies of the park brochure map may be downloaded below. So if any of that doesnt appeal to you, you may want to try a different tour. Bathrooms are located at the parking lot before you head down. Monday - Saturday. Reachable by climbing a 32-foot . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Family friendly. Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwest Colorado. Made it with kids 9, 7, 5 but wouldn't want to take smaller kids. I'd love to hear from you! will pay! The renowned cliff dwellings, the height of the Puebloans' architecture, include more than 600 alcove sites. Long House loop The ranger recommended the 6-mile Mesa Top loop, which has surface dwellings and viewpoints to many of the cliff dwellings (including Cliff Palace). Mesa Verde National Park has tours for 3 of them: Long House, Cliff Palace, and Balcony House. Multimedia credited with a copyright symbol (indicating that the creator may maintain rights to the work) or credited to any entity other than NPS must not be presumed to be public domain; contact the host park or program to ascertain who owns the material. The road is open 7:30 a.m. to sunset. Day 11 Such a great place though! Expedia and the Airplane Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Expedia, Inc. CST# 2029030-50. Since we arrived at the visitor center late morning, most of the tours were already full that day, so we decided to get tickets for the next morning. - See 604 traveler reviews, 206 candid photos, and great deals for Westgate Painted Mountain Golf Resort at Tripadvisor. There are 40 rooms at Balcony House! Were currently based in Las Vegas but have also lived in NYC, Portland, San Diego, and LA. Balcony House and Cliff Palace are the two main attractions at Mesa Verde. Jeff@thetrekplanner.com, Goosenecks Point Capitol Reef National Park, Utah. Mesa Verde Balcony House, a "medium size" cliff dwelling, has 40 rooms. I have nothing bad to say about any of the rangers we met in the National Parks so far-theyre all nice and helpful! They built a tunnel into one of their entrances as a natural defense! Balcony House is slightly less busy but still extremely impressive. Learn how your comment data is processed. The 32-foot entrance ladder makes it the most adventurous cliff dwelling tour, and even though were scared of heights, it wasnt too bad. Request for Proposal. Explore Balcony House, a 40-room cliff dwelling carved into a rock face in Mesa Verde National Park. Totten Lake Lodge - Dreamy Desert A-Frame, See a list of all hotels in Mesa Verde National Park, Hotels near Mesa Verde National Park Entrance, Hotels near Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, Car rentals near Ameristar Casino Black Hawk, Vacation rentals in United States of America, Vacation packages in United States of America, Cancel your hotel or vacation rental booking. Theres no rush either, you can take your time as needed. Amazing views and history. This particular archeological site illustrates how room and passageway construction evolved through time. Check out this 0.4-mile loop trail near Mancos, Colorado. To find out what this means, check out this ranger-guided virtual journey. Hats off to people who devised such techniques in old days. Starting at the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk, this two-hour ranger-guided tour involves hiking at least 2.25 miles (3.6 km) round-trip, and climbing two 15-foot (4.5 m) ladders . }); Download the official NPS app before your next visit, Multimedia credited to NPS without any copyright symbol are. " Oct 2022 Our ranger guide Rachel was fantastic. Great view of the house. Balcony House, Mesa Verde National Park. Directions: The entrance to Mesa Verde is located off of Hwy 160, 36 mile West of Durango and 10 miles East of Cortez. I was a bit nervous climbing the ladder, but seeing everyone else do it gave me courage, and it really was an easy ladder to climb-the rungs were really wide, you had plenty of space and could take your time! Some parts were off limits, but I really felt like they let you inside enough of it to get a good feel of the place. Mesa Verde Tour Experience. A 6-mile (10 km) driving tour has short, paved trails to 12 easily-accessible surface sites and views of cliff dwellings. Waiting area (for tour to start): 37.16246, -108.46505 Tours are offered from late April to mid October. Fantastic! The renowned cliff dwellings, the height of the Puebloans' architecture, include more than 600 alcove sites. Ages 13-99. Were Esther & Jacob. The cliff dwellings were used as, well, dwellings. Tickets for the Balcony House often sell out, but signing up for a guided tour guarantees your entrance. This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. It was a fairly large group of around 20-30 people, and composed of people of all ages. On this page, you can find various maps to help you explore and plan your trip to Mesa Verde. https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/fees.htm. Allow about 2.5 hours (total) for tour and return to the kiosk. Excavations on the dwelling began in 1910 by archaeologist Jesse Nusbaum, who not only beautifully preserved the architectural integrity of the site but also stabilized it to allow visitors to enter. Wow, this looks amazing! If its canceled because the minimum isnt met, youll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund. Tickets for the Balcony House often sell out, but signing up for a guided tour guarantees your entrance. Oh, yeah I heard there are lots of fires on Mesa Verde(also saw all the dead trees on the mesa top from them! The Balcony House tour, in particular, provides an adventurous and educational experience that captivates both children and adults alike. Enjoy an educational and adventurous tour of this fascinating ancient residence. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Would you have confronted the lady? Balcony House is slightly less busy but still extremely impressive. PO Box 8 There are even some choke points so only one person can proceed one at a time. Balcony House Tour. Balcony House is considered a medium-size cliff dwelling with 40 rooms. It was truly amazing to stand in and see the Balcony House. Read more about the sites to see on Chapin Mesa, in Mesa Verde National Park! Many people still call this group the Anasazi, but according to park rangers, the term Anasazi is actually an offensive term to Native American groups because it means something along the lines of ancient enemy or enemy ancestors. I would highly suggest you do this tour if you are able. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. We should work to preserve it for future generations too. They loved climbing to the tall ladder and crawling through the tunnel at Balcony House! Balcony House tour is so named because it's located right on a rock ledge that looks like a balcony. Someone from our group asked where the Ancestral Pueblo would have space to plant crops. Tours run from late April to mid-October. It was my first time to Mesa Verde National Park, so I figured: why not! Totally, recommend this tour. Allow about 2 hours to make the round-trip journey into and out of the park from Durango or Cortez. My favorite feature was the exit. Balcony House Mesa Verde Tour - Your Visual Guide. Time to get it back on the list after seeing your photos. Glen Canyon Dam Overlook Trail Page, Arizona. The cost of the Balcony House tour and other cliff dwelling tours are $7 per person for all ages. At a certain point in history they built these beautiful dwellings. Purchase tickets for a Long House tour before driving out to Wetherill Mesa. jQuery("#multimedia-meta-data-usage-close-link-74FA6511-09CB-FE09-1350128A48332C76 a").click(function(event) { document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She was very friendly and knowledgeable. 8:30 am- 11:30 pm. Other wise it was cool and not hard at all. Balcony House and Cliff Palace are the two main attractions at Mesa Verde. . It is well worth taking more than one of the cliff dwelling tours in the park if you can. Since we were only at Mesa Verde for 2 half days, we only had time to take one tour, and we chose the one for Balcony House. If you hiked before in the mountains on trails with some exposure this one is not a problem. All rights reserved. Mesa Verde National Park's archaeological sites span over 700 years of Native American history from 600 - 1300 CE. I love seeing the structures and ruins up close and to explore an actual dwelling was exciting! This is the part where you have the big wooden ladder to climb! Book a guided tour of Mesa Verde National Park and the Balcony Houseone of the park's top sitesto ensure your entry. SERVICE UPDATES : Please read for the latest information, click here . Wow, I was about to say, imagine waking up to that view every day and then I read your caption haha, but for real, they had prime real estate. What ruins have you visited? Once we got to Balcony House, our guide gathered us together to point out some fascinating parts of the ruins. The route into the park is steep and narrow, but it offers wonderful scenic views into four different states. Our tour started at 9am and we met in the parking lot of Balcony House located on Chapin Mesa. Thank you for visiting! Were currently in Las Vegas. If its canceled due to poor weather, youll be offered a different date or a full refund. Book a guided tour of Mesa Verde National Park and the Balcony Houseone of the park's top sitesto ensure your entry. Be sure youre able to endure strenuous activity at the 7,000-foot (2,100-meter) elevation of the park before you start on this trail. It was a nice little short hike, but be respectful of the architecture since its old! We failed to read about the 10 Meter (30 feet) initial climb. . Its pretty incredible to be walking in the same place that people did 800+ years ago! Private Tours. See all things to do Balcony House 5 868 reviews #2 of 20 things to do in Mesa Verde National Park Historic Sites Ancient Ruins Visit website Call Write a review What people are saying " Rigorous but very doable if you are over 65. Yes, it sucks that shes injured, but its still completely disrespectful to touch and lean on these ancient ruins. 700 Years Tour Our guides will provide you with an overall historical view of the Ancestral Puebloans' architectural, horticultural, cultural, and religious dimensions. jQuery("#multimedia-meta-data-usage-open-link-74FA6511-09CB-FE09-1350128A48332C76").hide(); In partnership with Mesa Verde National Park, CyArk documented Balcony House over two days in February 2017 using LiDAR and terrestrial photogrammetry. Yes the ladder climb was absolutely worth it, a little scary, but seeing everyone else climb it can also give you some courage too, its really not that bad . We strive to bring you new and interested things often. Learn More Group Tours Experience a group trip to a destination like no other in the world! Balcony House Tour Mesa Verde. Balcony House: This one-hour guided tour is offered from the end of May until the end of October and is very exciting. Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. From weddings to business retreats, we do it all! To download a transcript of the tour click here. Introduction to Mesa Verde Tour. Recommended by 98% of travelers. Cliff Palace Tour. Choose one or more items to build your trip: Check prices close to Balcony House for tonight, Jul 5 - Jul 6, Check prices close to Balcony House for tomorrow night, Jul 6 - Jul 7, Check prices close to Balcony House for this weekend, Jul 7 - Jul 9, Check prices close to Balcony House for next weekend, Jul 14 - Jul 16, Super 8 by Wyndham Cortez/Mesa Verde Area, 505 E Main St, 5 Blocks E of City Ctr Hwy 160, Cortez, CO, Mile Marker 15, inside, Mesa Verde National Park, CO, Holiday Inn Express Mesa Verde-Cortez, an IHG Hotel, Mesa Verde Vista Upstairs Queen Suite - 5 min to Mesa Verde NatIonal Park. I really like the mountain views. Multimedia credited to NPS without any copyright symbol are public domain. There is a small rectangular tunnel you need to crawl through (my husbands shoulders almost got stuck) you then need to climb a ladder and steep steps. The rungs of the ladder were wide and you had plenty to grab onto. 14 48 I fit through the Tunnel!! Had an incredible visit to Balcony House! Written by Natalie Ockey Posted in National Parks Updated January 1, 2023 Balcony House is one of four ranger-guided tours in Mesa Verde National Park along with Cliff Palace, Spruce Tree House, and Long House. This is a for-profit blog and contains occasional affiliate links, where we receive a small commission on sales of the products that are linked at no additional cost to you. They suggest those with recent hip or knee replacements forgo this hike/tour. This one was not as wide so you had to go up single file. Balcony House is considered a medium-size cliff dwelling with 40 rooms. Youll have to pay to go on one of the tours for the cliff dwellings, but theyre very affordable at only $5 per person as of 2017. Starting at the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk, this two-hour ranger-guided tour involves hiking at least 2.25 miles (3.6 km) round-trip, and climbing two 15-foot (4.5 m) ladders within the site. Two people were able to go up at a time, so if you have a partner with you and youre a bit scared just climb up together! Second longer visit (Main Goal#12 of trip), last was 22 years ago (then I was at Cliff Palace). The tour requires walking down a 130-step metal staircase then, (1) climbing up one 32-foot (9.8 m) ladder to enter, two small ladders, and 12 uneven stone steps within the site; (2) crawling through an 18-inch wide (46 cm) by 12-foot (3.7 m) long tunnel as you leave the site, and (3 - 5) ascending a 60-foot (18 m) open cliff face with uneven stone steps and two 17-foot (5 m) ladders to exit. All Rights Reserved. There are several . Before the tour, the ranger gave us a safety briefing. Thanks for sharing. event.preventDefault(); Enjoy learning about the Ancestral Puebloans from the NPS Ranger leading your tour, and be sure to take some time to try and imagine what is was like to live in a cliff dwelling. Not sure Id like climbing up that big ladder much though , Its not for everyone, but luckily there is another tour that doesnt require any ladder climbing , Ive always wanted to visit the pueblos! Balcony House which includes heritage elements and a ruin, Balcony House featuring a ruin and heritage elements, Balcony House which includes a gorge or canyon and tranquil scenes as well as an individual male, I only need accommodations for part of my trip. Once finished the Balcony House Tour, we took a long lunch break before heading to the Cliff Palace Overlook (about 10 minutes away) to begin the Cliff Palace Tour. That being said, there were people of all ages on this tour, but you will be required to do all of that. After the tour of the cliff dwelling, we had one final ladder to climb. Balcony House Virtual Tour. That being said, be prepared to climb multiple 30 foot ladders and scramble up steps carved into cliff-sides and slickrock. Mesa Verde Long House Information. Featuring majestic views of the Montezuma and Mancos valleys and surrounding Colorado countryside, this path is one of the most scenic in Mesa Verde National Park. Tiny narrow tunnel that you have to climb through that requires you to go on all fours. Of course its a tour guided hike, so be early to the welcome centers before 11AM or you wont guarantee a spot! Tickets sales open 14 days in advance of your desired tour date at 8 a.m. MST. Part of me didnt want to disrupt the ranger giving the talk (no one else in the group noticed her except us), and lets be honest, part of me was too shy to say anything. Many of these ruins have been rebuilt or stabilized to support people visiting. Find information on the Mesa Verde National park website. What a great tour, its looks very interesting and those views are stunning. May 2019 trip to Southwest, fourth visit to CO, last time was only year ago in summer. Wetherill Mesa is open seasonally. If you are bringing your camera, be sure to have a strap or backpack you can put it in when youre going up the ladder. Awesome informative, short hike. Mesa Verde National Park has tours for 3 of them: Long House, Cliff Palace, and Balcony House. Mesa Verde Tour Experience. Learn More Private Tours FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. See less The Wrigley Mansion houses Geordie's Restaurant and Lounge, Jamie's Wine Bar, and Christopher's. Then one day, they just up and left. Balcony House, like all of the cliff dwellings, is located at approximately 7,000 feet elevation and involves strenuous physical activity. The tour begins at the Balcony House parking lot which is located approximately 23 miles from the visitor center. Keep in mind it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get from the visitor center to the meeting point. Tickets for the Balcony House tour can be purchased at the Mesa Verde National Park visitor center for $4.00/person. Purchase tickets for these one-hour tours online at recreation.gov. We had it booked and reserved a few years ago and the wildfires up that way caused us to cancel. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Balcony House tour was highly recommended to me by several park rangers when I made a stop at the Visitor Center. As a reference on ability, there was a young couple with their daughters; one being a baby strapped in with a special child carrier backpack, and 2 others of around 5-7 years of age. But the visit is amazing and it has the feel of an intimate gathering with only about 15 people on each tour. Will definitely not recommend for someone who has knee or leg issues, or are plus sized What fun! If you visit I highly recommend taking one of the tours-or if you've got time, do all 3! This is one place in the southwest I have been dying to go, thanks for the virtual your. Right after our guide finished saying do not touch anything except the few parts I point out, there were people already leaning up against walls, touching everything, and even stepping on things they shouldnt. It is one of the most intimate yet adventurous tours at Mesa Verde. Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experiences start time will not be accepted. Long House is considered the second largest cliff dwelling in the park. jQuery("#multimedia-meta-data-usage-content-74FA6511-09CB-FE09-1350128A48332C76").hide(); Mesa Verde National Park's archaeological sites span over 700 years of Native American history from 600 - 1300 CE. Prices and availability subject to change. But this ladder and narrow passage reminded me of our trip to Lower Antelope Canyon. They did great!! Please, please, please do not touch the ruins. Tours fill up so be sure to book yours as early as possible. Understand how the construction of the rooms and passages within Balcony House developed over time when you notice the different shapes and styles of the carvings. Our tentative 6 year old did it afraid the definition of courage. The two technologies were combined to generate a textured 3D model of the site which was then sliced to generate drawings. NOTE: In 2023, all Ranger-Led or Ranger -Assisted tours will require reservations through the Recreation.gov website or toll free number 1-877-444-6777. You can also purchase a park-specific annual pass. This is a very popular area for birding and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. You are only allowed to bring water on this tour. If youre mildly afraid of heights like us, you should be okay. They do not want to refer to their ancestors as enemies. The short tunnel was fun for him and mommy pressed a hand to his back to steady him for the last 15 foot climb that was truly on a cliff face. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Long House was closed for restoration when we visited, so we decided not to drive down the long and windy Long House loop. Much depends on . Purchase tickets for these one-hour tours online at recreation.gov. 700 Years Tour. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experiences start time. Overview. Allow 45 minutes to one hour. The ranger said that the top of the mesa was filled with farms, pit houses, dams, and people going about daily life. Beautiful dwellings to be seen up close. Oh Id love to go to Antelope Canyon! The sheer beauty of the site makes the trip out to Wetherill Mesa worth the time and effort. This was the only one available on our first visit, and the Cliff Palace was the only one available on our second visit. Request for Proposal. Balcony House tour is so named because its located right on a rock ledge that looks like a balcony. The tour ends at the Long House trailhead, giving you a choice of returning to the kiosk or exploring more of Wetherill Mesa on your own. Enjoy! But all of that seems worth when you experience great views. Learn more about us here and dont forget to subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content. I cant remember the name, but I enjoyed it! The Balcony House is made up of 40 rooms. Enjoy learning about the Ancestral Puebloans from the NPS Ranger leading your tour, and be sure to take some time to try and imagine what is was like to live in a cliff dwelling. Group Tours. Winter Rates are cheaper and apply between Nov 1 - Apr 30. It was just opened this week after being closed for two years (according to our ranger). We are ATLiens who explore a new city every year. event.preventDefault(); You'll get to climb up the ladder and through the small tunnel that makes this attraction such an adventure. jQuery("#multimedia-meta-data-usage-content-74FA6511-09CB-FE09-1350128A48332C76").show(); You can purchase them at one of these 3 places: The tours run at specific times throughout the day, and also are only available during certain months of the year. The hike has an elevation gain of about 130 feet (40 m). Sunday - Saturday. All copyrights to photos, graphics, and text are owned by Local Adventurer and cannot be used without permission. Wrigley Mansion is a 1931 fine-dining and special event venue offering unbeatable 360-degree views and award-winning cuisine & wine cellar. It's so funny. If you cant hike, climb, and stand for an hour, you shouldnt go on the tour. Lots of stairs, ladders, crouching, crawling is involved. Our guide, had us climb up two at a time. Mesa Verde National Park Mesa Verde National Park Travel Forum tours - cliff palace or balcony house? Balcony House is known as one of the parks most adventurous tours. Short climb up a ladder to Balcony House. Start time: Check availability. They're inexpensive and it will get you up close with an amazing archaeological wonder! Book your tickets online for Balcony House, Mesa Verde National Park: See 867 reviews, articles, and 509 photos of Balcony House, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 20 attractions in Mesa Verde National Park. Latter hike short Soda Canyon Trail to see Balcony Ruins from a distance. Take a ranger-guided tour of the dwellings rooms and passageways. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Trek Planner is an outdoor adventure website. Siena Women's Soccer Coaches, Articles M