Mesa Verde

https://www.nps.gov/meve https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesa_Verde_National_Park Mesa Verde National Park is in southwest Colorado. It's known for its well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, notably the huge Cliff Palace. The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum has exhibits on the ancient Native American culture. Mesa Top Loop Road winds past archaeological sites and overlooks, including Sun Point Overlook with panoramic canyon views. Petroglyph Point Trail has several rock carvings. For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 27 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth. Mesa Verde National Park is in Southwest Colorado. The park entrance and the Visitor and Research Center are located ten miles east of Cortez, nine miles west of Mancos, and about 35 miles west of Durango, Colorado along Hwy 160. Mesa top ancestral sites, Cliff dwellings, tours, and the Mesa Verde Museum are 20 to 21 miles (approximately 45 minutes) south along the park road which which is steep, narrow, and winding. Entrance Station Kiosk The entrance station kiosk is located approximately 1/2 from the entrance to the park and the visitor center. Our friendly rangers can provide you with a park map, information, Jr. Ranger Books and Badges and a passport stamp as well as collecting the entrance fee. Visitors arriving outside station hours may pay their fee directly through www.recreation.gov. Park brochures can be found at the signboard on the right. Mesa Verde Museum Located at milepost 20, the Mesa Verde Mesa Museum offers exhibits and cultural objects that provide insight into the Ancestral Pueblo lifeways. An orientation film is shown on the hour and half-hour, providing an excellent overview of the history at Mesa Verde. A museum store, water, restrooms, café, gift shop, and post office are all located nearby. Just behind the museum is a stunning view of Spruce Tree House, the third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling in the park. From the park entrance, drive 20 miles (32.2 km) to the all-way stop on Chapin Mesa. Turn right and the museum is about 0.7 miles (1.13 km) around the loop on the right. There are a limited number of parking spaces across from the museum for small vehicles. Past the museum is a longer parking area. Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center Located at the park entrance, off Highway 160, this is the park’s primary facility for orienting visitors to opportunities within the park and surrounding area. Accessible exhibits explore the richness of Ancestral Pueblo culture and daily life. The Mesa Verde Museum Association Park Store offers books, trail guides, maps, and other items that you may find useful during or after your visit, and free Wi-Fi. Restrooms are located near the entrance to the visitor center. The Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center is near the park entrance, located just off Highway 160 between the towns of Mancos and Cortez, and about 35 miles west of Durango, Colorado. Morefield Campground Morefield Campground is four miles from the park entrance. The 267 campsites are situated within a high-elevation, grassy canyon filled with Gambel oak, native flowers, deer, and wild turkeys. Each site has a picnic table, gravel tent pad, and fire pit/BBQ grill. A camp store offers registration, food, and camp supplies. Firewood, gasoline, showers, a coin-operated laundromat, and a kennel are located nearby. The campground is managed by park concessioner Aramark and is open between spring and fall. Dry Camping 38.00 Fee for dry RV or tent camping. (Rate is based on double occupancy. Additional person charges apply for extra persons age 6 years and older.) Senior and Access passes apply to all camping. Discount will be applied only to campsite occupied by the person to whom the passport has been issued. Check-in can occur anytime during Campground Store hours. If store is closed, please pick a location and check-in the next morning. Check-out is by 11:00 am Mountain Daylight Saving Time. Full Hook-Up 51.00 Fee for full hook-up RV camping. (Rate is based on two people. Additional person charges apply for extra persons age 6 years and older.) Senior/Access passes apply to all camping. Discount will be applied only to campsite occupied by the person to whom the passport has been issued. Reservations are highly recommended. Check-in can occur anytime during Campground Store hours. If store is closed, please pick a location and check-in the next morning. Check-out is by 11:00 am Mountain Daylight Saving Time. Morefield Campground Expansive, overhead view of loop roads and campsites within a green valley surrounded by hills Morefield's campsites are situated on loop roads that extend through a high grassy canyon filled with Gambel Oak scrub, native flowers, deer, and wild turkeys. Cliff Palace Large cliff dwelling in cliff alcove Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde's Largest Cliff Dwelling Step House Park visitors visiting a cliff dwelling Visitors enjoying Step House, on Wetherill Mesa Balcony House A cliff dwelling within a cliff alcove seen from across a canyon View of Balcony House from the Soda Canyon Overlook Square Tower House View of cliff dwelling from above a canyon Square Tower House from overlook along the Mesa Top Loop View of Spruce Tree House View of cliff dwelling from across canyon Spruce Tree House Spruce Tree House Within a cliff dwelling Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde's third largest and best preserved cliff dwelling Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center Visitor center entrance with sculpture of Ancestral Pueblo climber in front plaza. Stop by the Mesa Verde Visitor & Research Center at the park entrance where park staff will help you plan your visit. NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports. stone buildings in alcove 2014 NPS Environmental Achievement Awards Recipients of the 2014 NPS Environmental Achievement Awards Mesa Verde National Park Completes Resource Management Fuel Reduction Project In April 2014, Mesa Verde NP fire staff completed the nine-acre Bobcat prescribed burn to protect a grove of large ponderosa pine trees from future loss to wildfire by reducing an unnatural buildup of vegetation. The burn benefits plants and animals of the fire-adapted ecosystem, especially the threatened Mexican spotted owl; protects cultural resources; and maintains and restores resilient landscapes. Park Air Profiles - Mesa Verde National Park Air quality profile for Mesa Verde National Park. Gives park-specific information about air quality and air pollution impacts for Mesa Verde NP as well as the studies and monitoring conducted for Mesa Verde NP. Prairie rattlesnake America's Best Idea: Featured National Historic Landmarks Over 200 National Historic Landmarks are located in national parks units. Some historical and cultural resources within the park system were designated as NHLs before being established as park units. Yet other park units have NHLs within their boundaries that are nationally significant for reasons other than those for which the park was established. Twenty of those NHLs are located in parks featured in Ken Burn's documentary, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. watchtower against blue sky Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship of Birds of Conservation Concern at Bandelier and Mesa Verde Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network bird monitoring allows scientists to track bird numbers, diversity, and habitat relationships. However, it is less able to identify reasons for changes in bird populations. The Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship program (MAPS) is complementary in that regard. It collects demographic data such as bird reproduction and survival rates. Bandelier and Mesa Verde implemented MAPS programs in 2010. Wildlife biology intern demonstrates the proper way to hold a bird. Increasing temperature seasonality may overwhelm shifts in soil moisture to favor shrub over grass dominance in Colorado Plateau drylands Increasing variability of temperature favors a shift to shrublands over grasslands in arid southwestern landscapes. This effect is greater than the effect of increasing soil moisture, which favors a shift to grasslands over shrublands. Grassland with scattered junipers and hills in the background. Fossil Shark Egg Case Discovered at Mesa Verde National Park A surprising find in Mesa Verde National Park! G. William M. Harrison shares his story of discovering a chimaera egg case. A field scientist in their natural environment at Mesa Verde National Park The Colorado Plateau The Colorado Plateau is centered on the four corners area of the Southwest, and includes much of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. Hazy Fajada Butte, Chaco Culture National Monument Monitoring Upland Vegetation and Soils on the Southern Colorado Plateau Vegetation and soils are the foundation upon which all terrestrial ecosystems are built. Soils provide the medium for the storage and delivery of water and nutrients to plants, which in turn provide animal populations with both habitat and food. Sampling grassland vegetation at a long-term monitoring plot at Wupatki National Monument Monitoring Bird Communities on the Southern Colorado Plateau Bird communities can tell us a lot about changing environmental conditions. High on the food chain, and sensitive to climate and habitat changes, birds are monitored on the Southern Colorado Plateau as indicators of riparian and upland ecosystem health. Male Williamson’s sapsucker. Wildland Fire in Douglas Fir: Western United States Douglas fir is widely distributed throughout the western United States, as well as southern British Columbia and northern Mexico. Douglas fir is able to survive without fire, its abundantly-produced seeds are lightweight and winged, allowing the wind to carry them to new locations where seedlings can be established. Close-up of Douglas fir bark and needles. Wildland Fire in Sagebrush Sagebrush will burn when the surrounding grasses are dry. With strong winds, fire spreads rapidly with flames sometimes reaching over 30 feet high. While fire easily kills sagebrush, the other plants resprout from protected roots producing lush forage for wildlife and livestock. Close-up of sagebrush leaves Modeling Past and Future Soil Moisture in Southern Colorado Plateau National Parks and Monuments In this project, USGS and NPS scientists used the range of variation in historical climate data to provide context for assessing the relative impact of projected future climate on soil water availability. This report provides the results of modeled SWP generated for 11 ecosystems in nine Southern Colorado Plateau Network parks. Extensive grassland at Wupatki National Monument Monitoring Night Skies and Natural Soundscapes on the Southern Colorado Plateau Many national parks in the Southern Colorado Plateau region contain large areas of wilderness, where dark night skies and natural soundscapes are important human values. Dark night skies, which depend upon the visibility of stars and other natural components, are diminishing resources in several park units because of anthropogenic activities. Natural soundscapes—that is, the natural sounds of wildlands—are degraded by sounds caused by humans or human technology. Clouds and sky turning red and orange over Navajo National Monument at sunset Virtual Mesa Verde Junior Ranger Program Hi! My name is Kathy and this is my friend Gentle Rain who lived in Mesa Verde 750 years ago. She helped me become a junior ranger, and now we both want to help you. As you explore the park online and complete activities, you will learn about Gentle Rain’s culture, discover items her family and friends once used, and see the types of homes they lived in. Just download the booklet and follow our directions, and you will earn your virtual ranger badge in no time! Two young girls from different time periods are sitting on the ground, interacting with one another. Wildland Fire in Ponderosa Pine: Western United States This forest community generally exists in areas with annual rainfall of 25 inches or less. Extensive pure stands of this forest type are found in the southwestern U.S., central Washington and Oregon, southern Idaho and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recently burned ponderosa pine forest. Southwest River Environments In the arid Southwest, water means life, and prehistorically, rivers were the lifelines of the people. The Colorado River flowing through a canyon Monitoring Water Quality on the Southern Colorado Plateau Water quality data are used to characterize waters, detect trends over time, and identify emerging problems. In Southern Colorado Plateau Network parks, water quality is monitored as an indicator of aquatic ecosystem integrity, as a component of watershed condition, and to document water quality conditions in relation to state and federal regulations. Collecting water quality data Vegetation Characterization and Mapping on the Southern Colorado Plateau Vegetation mapping is a tool used by botanists, ecologists, and land managers to better understand the abundance, diversity, and distribution of different vegetation types across a landscape. Vegetation plots used for the classification and mapping of El Malpais NM Climate Change on the Southern Colorado Plateau The combination of high. elevation and a semi-arid climate makes the Colorado Plateau particularly vulnerable to climate change. Climate models predict that over the next 100 years, the Southwest will become warmer and even more arid, with more extreme droughts than the region has experienced in the recent past. One result of climate change may be more, larger floods, like this flash flood in Glen Canyon NRA Monitoring Spring Ecosystems on the Southern Colorado Plateau Springs are important water sources in arid landscapes, supporting unique plant associations and sustaining high levels of biotic diversity. Because springs rely on groundwater, they can serve as important indicators of change in local and regional aquifers. On the Colorado Plateau, spring ecosystems also provide vital habitat for both endemic and regionally rare species, including several types of orchids and declining populations of leopard frogs. A pool of water filled with vegetation and sheltered by large rocks Monitoring Aquatic Macroinvertebrates on the Southern Colorado Plateau Aquatic macroinvertebrates, such as insect larvae, snails, and worms, play a vital role in stream ecosystems, both as a food source and as consumers of algae and other organic matter. Because macroinvertebrates are sensitive to environmental change, monitoring them can help to detect chemical, physical, and biological impacts to aquatic ecosystems. Monitoring aquatic macroinvertebrates Hummingbird Monitoring in Southwestern National Parks Hummingbirds are beautiful and charismatic, but not as well studied as many other birds. Some hummingbird species in the U.S. might be in decline, so monitoring them to estimate their abundance and detect trends in their populations is an important step towards developing a conservation strategy. Releasing a hummingbird after banding. The Story of Desert View Watchtower The view from the Desert View Watchtower provides a unique perspective of the eastern side of Grand Canyon. From here, looking to the northeast offers a distant glimpse of the Colorado River's transition from the relatively narrow Marble Canyon to the north into the much wider, broader expanse of Grand Canyon. Directly below is the Colorado River's "Big Bend", where it dramatically shifts its previously southward course by executing a sharp 90-degree turn to the west. On the edge of a canyon cliff, a circular stone tower four stories, 70 feet tall. Series: Geologic Time Periods in the Mesozoic Era The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, and the modern Rocky Mountains rose. Dinosaurs, crocodiles, and pterosaurs ruled the land and air. As climate changed and rapid plate tectonics resulted in shallow ocean basins, sea levels rose world-wide and seas expanded across the center of North America. fossil dinosaur skull in rock face Series: NPS Environmental Achievement Awards Since 2002, the National Park Service (NPS) has awarded Environmental Achievement (EA) Awards to recognize staff and partners in the area of environmental preservation, protection and stewardship. A vehicle charges at an Electric Vehicle charging station at Thomas Edison National Historical Park Series: Defining the Southwest The Southwest has a special place in the American imagination – one filled with canyon lands, cacti, roadrunners, perpetual desert heat, a glaring sun, and the unfolding of history in places like Tombstone and Santa Fe. In the American mind, the Southwest is a place without boundaries – a land with its own style and its own pace – a land that ultimately defies a single definition. Maize agriculture is one component of a general cultural definition of the Southwest. Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 10, No. 2, Fall 2018 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> NPS staff work to document a recently discovered slab of Navajo Sandstone Series: Park Air Profiles Clean air matters for national parks around the country. Photo of clouds above the Grand Canyon, AZ Cretaceous Period—145.0 to 66.0 MYA Many now-arid western parks, including Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Mesa Verde National Park, were inundated by the Cretaceous Interior Seaway that bisected North America. Massive dinosaur and other reptile fossils are found in Cretaceous rocks of Big Bend National Park. dinosaur footprint in stone Mesozoic Era The Mesozoic Era (251.9 to 66 million years ago) was the "Age of Reptiles." During the Mesozoic, Pangaea began separating into the modern continents, and the modern Rocky Mountains rose. Dinosaurs, crocodiles, and pterosaurs ruled the land and air. As climate changed and rapid plate tectonics resulted in shallow ocean basins, sea levels rose world-wide and seas expanded across the center of North America. fossil dinosaur skull in rock face Two for the Price of One Companion, assistant, confidant, ambassador, host, nurse, cook, secretary, editor, field technician, wildlife wrangler, diplomat, and social director are some of the many roles that people who marry into the NPS perform in support of their spouses and the NPS mission. Although the wives and daughters of park rangers were some of the earliest women rangers in the NPS, many more women served as “park wives” in the 1920s–1940s. Three members of a family What Did You Call Me? Only 17 women park rangers are documented from 1918 to 1927. Perhaps another three or four are hinted at in the records. Even so, the total number was probably still only around 20. Most histories of the NPS, however, put the total number of women rangers much lower. The difference isn’t just a simple matter of math. It goes to the heart of the question “What makes a ranger?” female ranger in uniform at a desk Who Wears the Pants Around Here? After a promising start in the early 1920s, only a handful of women were hired as park rangers and naturalists in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Carlsbad Caverns National Park and the national monuments of the Southwest became the new hot spots for women in uniformed positions in the 1930s. Women in skirts and pants Substitute Rangers As the 1940s dawned, the United States was still dealing with the economic woes of the Great Depression and trying not to get drawn in WWII. Even as it continued to manage New Deal Program work in national and state parks, the NPS remained understaffed as a government bureau. The emergency relief workers and about 15 percent of NPS staff enlisted or were drafted during the first couple of years of WWII. Winifred Tada, 1940. (Courtesy of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin) The Intersecting Crossroads of Paleontology and Archeology: When are Fossils Considered Artifacts? Understanding human knowledge and attitudes (human dimensions) towards paleontological resources through the cooccurrence of fossils and artifacts and/or tribal consultation (archeological context) helps us better appreciate those human values, perspectives, and beliefs. This understanding is important to the management, protection, and interpretation of these non-renewable resources.  colorful arrowhead on black background Series: Intermountain Park Science 2021 Integrating Research and Resource Management in Intermountain National Parks Group of National Park Service staff and volunteers standing in front of a desert canyon. Changing Patterns of Water Availability May Change Vegetation Composition in US National Parks Across the US, changes in water availability are altering which plants grow where. These changes are evident at a broad scale. But not all areas experience the same climate in the same way, even within the boundaries of a single national park. A new dataset gives park managers a valuable tool for understanding why vegetation has changed and how it might change in the future under different climate-change scenarios. Green, orange, and dead grey junipers in red soil, mountains in background Water Resources on the Colorado Plateau Describes the origin, uses, threats to, and conservation of water on the Colorado Plateau. Dark green body of water winding through red rock formations with brilliant sun overhead. Ranger Roll Call, 1930-1939 Few women worked in uniformed positions in the 1930s but those who did weren't only ranger-checkers or ranger-naturalists. Jobs as guides, historians, archeologists, and in museums opened to more women. Seven women in Park Service uniforms stand in line inside a cave. Ranger Roll Call, 1940-1949 Only a small number of women held temporary ranger positions in national parks during World War II. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, national monuments in the Southwest, and historical sites in the East continued to employ more women. Although a few women veterans benefitted from post-war veteran hiring programs, most veterans were men and permanent positions became even more difficult for women to get. Catherine Byrnes and Barbara Dickinson stand outside modeling the NPS uniform. Ranger Roll Call, 1950-1959 In the 1950s, women in uniform continue to work as guides, historians, and archeologists. Few women had permanent positions. A handful of women began to get seasonal ranger-naturalists positions at large national parks for the first time in two decades. Ann Livesay in her NPS uniform standing in front of a low wall at the edge of the Grand Canyon. National Parks in the History of Science: Dendrochronology (Video) Scientists around the world use tree rings to understand past climates, ecosystems, and cultures. The study of tree rings to understand the past is called dendrochronology. This field of science began in several national parks in the Southwest: Mesa Verde, Aztec Ruins, Chaco Culture, and others. a black and white photo of tree rings close up Series: Parks in Science History Parks in Science History is a series of articles and videos made in cooperation with graduate students from various universities. They highlight the roles that national parks have played in the history of science and, therefore, the world's intellectual heritage. A woman looking through binoculars 2021 National Park Service Aviation Awards In 2021, the National Park Service Aviation Program awarded the Excellence in Mentorship Aviation Award, the Tom Clausing Aviation All Risk (Hazard) Program Award, Aviator of the Year Award, and the Wright Brothers Aviation Safety Award. Five men and a woman stand surrounding a Mesa Verde Helitack sign. Two men hold awards. Studying the Past and Predicting the Future Using Rat Nests In the western United States, packrat middens are one of the best tools for reconstructing recent environments and climates. These accumulations of plant fragments, small vertebrate remains, rodent droppings, and other fossils can be preserved for more than 50,000 years. Packrat middens have been found in at least 41 National Park Service units. Photo of a wood rat. Series: Park Paleontology News - Vol. 14, No. 2, Fall 2022 All across the park system, scientists, rangers, and interpreters are engaged in the important work of studying, protecting, and sharing our rich fossil heritage. <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/newsletters.htm">Park Paleontology news</a> provides a close up look at the important work of caring for these irreplaceable resources. <ul><li>Contribute to Park Paleontology News by contacting the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/common/utilities/sendmail/sendemail.cfm?o=5D8CD5B898DDBB8387BA1DBBFD02A8AE4FBD489F4FF88B9049&r=/subjects/geoscientistsinparks/photo-galleries.htm">newsletter editor</a></li><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/">Fossils & Paleontology</a> </li><li>Celebrate <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossilday/">National Fossil Day</a> with events across the nation</li></ul> Photo of a person sitting while using a laboratory microscope. Series: Geologic Time—Major Divisions and NPS Fossils The National Park System contains a magnificent record of geologic time because rocks from each period of the geologic time scale are preserved in park landscapes. The geologic time scale is divided into four large periods of time—the Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Paleozoic Era, and The Precambrian. photo of desert landscape with a petrified wood log on the surface Guide to the Thomas J. Allen Photograph Collection Finding aid for the Thomas J. Allen Photographs in the NPS History Collection. 50 Nifty Finds #9: Green Stamps Described by some as "the greatest propaganda campaign ever launched by the federal government to exploit the scenic wonders of the United States," the national park stamps issued by the U.S. Post Office Department in 1934 became one of the most recognized series of U.S. stamps. Despite being in the middle of the Great Depression, over one billion of the 10 national park stamps were printed in under two years. College of ten colorful national park stamps 50 Nifty Finds #11: Carving a Place in NPS History Few employees have left as visible a mark on National Park Service (NPS) exhibits as John A. Segeren. His work has been enjoyed by generations of park visitors who never knew his name but appreciated his intricate wood carvings and playful animal figures displayed in parks throughout the system. A master woodcarver described by former President Lyndon B. Johnson as "a legacy to this country," Segeren carved out his own place in NPS history. Round wooden plaque with bison, globe, and waterfall 50 Nifty Finds #13: The Artistry of Adult Coloring They say that coloring provides stress relief for adults as well as children. For artists at the National Park Service (NPS) Western Museum Laboratory in the 1930s, however, it wasn't easy to hand-color glass lanterns slides depicting the landscapes, people, plants, and animals of places they had never seen. Quality and accuracy were essential because the slides were used by rangers to illustrate lectures and to encourage people to visit national parks. Color image of a giant sequoia tree. The building and car at the base look tiny in comparison. 50 Nifty Finds #15: The Art of Politics Political cartoons have long been a way for artists and their editors to bring attention to important social issues or political corruption and to support meaningful causes. The NPS History Collection includes drawings by some of the most influential cartoonists from the 1920s to the 1950s. Their support publicized the National Park Service (NPS) while helping build political support to protect park resources from commercial interests. Cartoon of a foot labeled 50 Nifty Finds #18: Portable Posters Many visitors to national parks today collect passport stamps, magnets, or other items to recall their trip and to show others where they’ve been. In the 1920s and 1930s the “must have” souvenirs weren’t created to be collected. National Park Service (NPS) windshield stickers served a practical administrative purpose; they were evidence that the automobile license fee drivers paid at some parks had been paid. Even so, Americans embraced their colorful, artistic designs. Four colorful Rocky Mountain National Park windshield stickers. Making an Impact: Long-Term Monitoring of Natural Resources at Intermountain Region National Parks, 2021 Across the Intermountain Region, Inventory & Monitoring Division ecologists are helping to track the effects of climate change, provide baseline information for resource management, evaluate new technologies, and inspire the next generation of park stewards. This article highlights accomplishments achieved during fiscal year 2021. A man looks through binoculars at sunrise. 50 Nifty Finds #27: A Distinction Without a Difference The 1920 National Park Service (NPS) uniform regulations included sleeve insignia to identify the job and rank of the person wearing it. As far as the public was concerned, however, sleeve insignia were a distinction without a difference. Like today, visitors approached anyone in uniform. It wasn't long before their usefulness was questioned, but it was over 15 years before they—and the "officers and men" idea they embodied—were officially removed from the NPS uniform. Round patch with two oak leaves with a white ink well and quill pen The Plateau Postcard: Spring-Summer 2023 The Plateau Postcard is the official newsletter of the Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network. In this issue, we say hello to many new faces within the network and head to the field with some of this year's spectacular monitoring crews. Pile of postcards with images of various southwest national parks on them. A Changing Bimodal Climate Zone Means Changing Vegetation in Western National Parks When the climate changes enough, the vegetation communities growing in any given place will also change. Under an expanded bimodal climate zone, some plant communities in western national parks are more likely to change than others. National Park Service ecologists and partners investigated the future conditions that may force some of this change. Having this information can help park managers decide whether to resist, direct, or accept the change. Dark storm clouds and rainbow over mountains and saguaros. 50 Nifty Finds #32: A New Deal for Artists The Works Progress Administration (WPA) did for National Park Service (NPS) education programs what the better-known Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) did for park roads, trails, and buildings. Many artists—including a large number of women—were hired with WPA funding to create art and exhibits in parks around the country. Natasha D. Smith was one of those women. She led a life dedicated to art, wildlife, and environmental conservation. Natasha Smith sits working on a clay model of an extinct horse. Project Profile: Produce Seed for Intermountain Sagebrush Systems The National Park Service will build in-house capacity for four strategically located parks to scale up their collection, production, and storage of genetically appropriate native seeds with a focus on ’workhorse’ species to meet their needs as well as parks in the same ecoregions. two men, one in nps uniform, survey plant seedlings in a nursery. Project Profile: Produce Seed for Intermountain Grasslands The National Park Service and organizations of the Southwest Seed Partnership will implement the National Seed Strategy and associated revegetation and restoration efforts in grassland ecosystems in Intermountain Region parks. The project focuses on native plant development and involves collecting, producing, cleaning, testing, tracking, and storing seeds from native species. a man kneels in a field and puts collected seeds into a 5 gallon bucket Project Profile: Expand Southwest Seed Partnership for Intermountain Region Parks The National Park Service and organizations of the Southwest Seed Partnership will implement the National Seed Strategy and associated revegetation and ecosystem restoration efforts. The project focuses on native plant development and involves collecting, producing, cleaning, testing, tracking, and storing seeds from native species. grasses and shrubs on a hillside Park Managers look to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law projects to break cycle of fire-driven ecosystem losses in the West Park managers look to Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to break the cycle of fire-driven ecosystem losses in the West. The project focus, as part of a larger program that the National Park Service calls its NPSage Initiative, is on collaborative work to build capacity across four priority seed zones of the Intermountain Region: 17 parks in the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountains ecoregions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. rows of tall grasses being grown for restoration National Park Service project to build up 'workhorse' native seed stocks for major restoration and revegetation efforts The National Park Service, with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be able to build up stocks of the native workhorse plant species that can out compete invasive plant species so that native grasses and forbs can grow in previously disturbed areas.  a man kneels next to a bucket collecting seeds in a field I Didn't Know That!: Biological Soil Crusts You’ve heard people say to stay on the trail, but what does it matter in the desert? It’s just dirt... right? Wrong—it's alive! Discover what biological soil crusts are and why they're so important in dry environments. a promo image for "I Didn't Know That! Biological Soil Crusts" with image of a biological soil crust The Devoted People behind Big Data in National Parks Citizen science volunteers collect massive amounts of crucial scientific information. They gather it from sources as varied as oceans, mountainsides, and historic archives. Smart new tools are making their contributions even more powerful. Two smiling women stand in front of a national park sign. Unlocking Earth's Secrets, Layer by Layer Those splendid rocks in our national parks aren’t just scenic wonders; they’re scientific and cultural treasures. A new geological inventory could help protect them. Two women with helmets look at a multi-layered rock cliff Data Publication Brief - Aquatic Macroinvertebrates and Upland Vegetation/Soils The data packages for all our long-term monitoring efforts across the Southern Colorado Plateau are the foundations for almost everything we do here. We recently underwent our biggest effort yet in reformatting our data to fit the new standards put out by the Inventory & Monitoring Division. We are proud to announce that two of our largest datasets have now been published and are available for everyone to utilize. A split image, one side is a stonefly insect and the other side is a white flower. 50 Nifty Finds #42: Model Rangers The beige women’s wardrobe is one of the most misunderstood National Park Service (NPS) uniforms. It’s also the uniform that usually gets the most attention—despite being worn for only three years. Many incorrectly believe it dates to the 1960s and featured miniskirts and go-go boots. The fact that it is the one least like the standard green ranger uniform wasn’t an accident. Three beige and one orange dresses Desert Varnish Ever wondered what those dark lines were on the rock walls of canyon country? These black, brown, and red streaks are called desert varnish. streaks of black desert varnish on a red rock wall The Plateau Postcard: Winter 2024 The Plateau Postcard is the official newsletter of the Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring Network. In this issue, we learn about how we are trying to predict pinyon-juniper die-offs, as well as a new tool we developed to help make us all better field scientists, and we hear from Bob Parmenter about his remarkable career at Valles Caldera National Preserve. A pile of postcards. Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. 2023 Excellence in Interpretation Awards View the recipients of the 2023 National Park Service Excellence in Interpretation Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to the practice of interpretation and education by NPS employees. 13 people in tribal attire, uniform, or hiking clothes amid mud bricks. Habitat and molt strategy shape responses of breeding bird densities to climate variation across an elevational gradient in Southwestern national parks Climate change is a major driver of bird population declines and is feared to be negatively affecting species abundances in the drought-stricken southwestern United States. We analyzed twelve years of bird monitoring data (2007-2018) from six national parks and monuments on the Colorado Plateau to obtain habitat- and park-specific, breeding-season population trends and understand how they are influenced by important climate variables. Bird with black head and orange breast perched in a tree. Dinosaurs of the National Park Service Dinosaur fossils have been discovered at or are associated with at least 27 NPS units. Geographically, their finds are concentrated in the parks of the Colorado Plateau, but they have been found from central Alaska to Big Bend National Park in Texas to Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Massachusetts. The most famous site is the Dinosaur Quarry of Dinosaur National Monument, but a rush of new finds since the 1970s has greatly expanded our knowledge. allosaurus fossil

Visitor Activities National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Mesa Verde National Park Winter and Early Spring, 2020-2021 Point Lookout Welcome Late fall, winter, and early spring is a wonderful time to visit Mesa Verde National Park, and there are many activities available to help you experience this special place. Enjoy a variety of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking opportunities in a quiet winter environment. Step back in time and drive the Mesa Top Loop Road to explore 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history; gain a Pueblo perspective of Mesa Verde from a direct descendant of the people who lived here; and view Spruce Tree House surrounded by winter snow or the early blooms of spring. Check the park website at www.nps.gov/meve for more information. Winter Logistics All activities depend on road, trail, and weather conditions. Please check with the ranger at the entrance gate for updates before beginning any of the listed activities. We recommend good hiking boots or snow boots, warm layered clothing, a hat, gloves, snacks, sunglasses, and water. Limited food service is available at the Spruce Tree Terrace, near the Museum. Check Visitor Services on the back page for hours. There is no overnight camping or lodging in the park, but accommodations are available in nearby communities. Virtual Ranger Station Spruce Tree House Overlook Activities during this time are self-guided, so planning ahead is especially important. Although the cliff dwellings are closed, there is still plenty to see and do, including viewing magnificent cliff dwellings. If you haven’t used the Virtual Ranger Station on the park website to plan your visit, please make sure to stop at the Visitor & Research Center, near the park entrance, where you can download helpful information. There, you can scan codes using your mobile device to learn what self-guided opportunities are available to enjoy while in the park. (Note that cell service is extremely limited beyond this point.) Restrooms are also available. Spruce Tree House is the park’s third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling. Constructed between 1211 and 1278, it was built into a natural alcove. It contains 130 rooms, eight kivas, and may have housed 60 to 80 people. You can observe Spruce Tree House from points near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. The trail to the lower viewpoint is short but steep, and can be icy. *It is a 45- to 60-minute drive from the park entrance to Spruce Tree House. Mesa Top Loop Drive Spruce Tree House from overlook Mesa Top Loop Road is a 6-mile (10 km) drive through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. Along the road, you’ll find short, easily-accessible paved trails to archeological sites and views of cliff dwellings such as Cliff Palace from the Sun Temple stop. (During snow storms, the loop may briefly close until the road and walkways are cleared.) Open daily 8:00 am to sunset. See map on page 2. A trail guide is available. You can also download the audio tour, Mesa Top Loop Drive: A Pueblo Perspective and listen along in your car or on your phone. Square Tower House from overlook along the Mesa Top Loop Drive Additional Opportunities to Explore On Your Own Petroglyph Point Trail is located near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. The 2.4-mile (3.9 km) trail leads to a panel of petroglyphs. In clear weather, the trail can be hiked as a loop. However, due to ice and snow, you may be directed to hike via the mesa top section of the trail, or the entire trail may be closed. Far View Sites Complex includes Far View House plus four other villages and a dry reservoir. Four miles (6.4 km) north of the Museum, this 3/4-mile (1.2 km) trail is not plowed. Park just outside the gate, but do not block the gate. Open 8:00 am to sunset. Cliff Palace Loop Road closes to vehicles on December 1 or with first significant snowfall. The road is then available for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or hiking. Note: Between February and mid-June, 2021 the Cliff Palace Loop Road will be closed for road construction. Winter Recreational Opportunities Winter Recreational Opportunities are available for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing once there is a sufficient amount of snow and the park has begun to groom trails. Information on winter trails and trail conditions is available on the park website at go.nps. gov/wintertrails. You can also find out about conditions and which winter trails are open by calling 970529-4622 or 970-529-4631. Snowshoes are available for loan at the park entrance station. Visitor Services National Park Service 970-529-4465, www.nps.gov/meve Mesa Verde Museum Association, Park Partner 970-529-4445 Purchase merchanise online at www.mesaverde.org Information Virtual Ranger Station* and Restrooms Located just outside the Visitor & Research Center 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Cross-country skiers on the Morefield Campground trails Aramark, Park Partner 800-449-2288, www.visitmesaverde.com Please see their webs

Visitor Activities Summer, 2020 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Mesa Verde National Park Last Updated: May 24, 2020 View of Cliff Palace from Overlook Welcome to Mesa Verde National Park! Mesa Verde offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 550 to 1300. Today, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. From the many sites located here and in the surrounding Four Corners area, archeologists have compiled one of the most significant chapters in the story of ancient America. Message from the Superintendent Cliff Spencer Virtual Ranger Station Spruce Tree House Overlook Welcome to Mesa Verde National Park. This year our operation looks a little different. We thank you for your understanding as we work hard to keep you, our staff, and the resources we protect safe. We encourage you to practice good health measures throughout your stay. • Please keep six feet (2 m) distance between you and other visitors to reduce the spread of COVID-19. • Thoroughly wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after touching railings, door handles, and other objects. • Please consider wearing a mask as a courtesy to others. Wearing a mask can help prevent transmission of the virus even if you or others do not feel sick. The park is opened under limited operation due to COVID-19, so much of your visit will be self-guided. The cliff dwellings are closed, but there is still plenty to see and do, including magnificent cliff dwelling views. If you haven’t used our new Online Virtual Ranger Station to plan your visit, please make sure to stop at the Visitor & Research Center, near the park entrance. A Virtual Ranger Station has been set up just outside. There, you can scan codes using your cell phone or other mobile device to learn what self-guided opportunities there are for you to enjoy while in the park. (Cell service is extremely limited beyond this point.) Restrooms are available and rangers will be roving the station to answer questions. Spruce Tree House is the park’s third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling. Constructed between 1211 and 1278, it was built into a natural alcove. It contains 130 rooms, eight kivas, and may have housed 60 to 80 people. You can observe Spruce Tree House from points near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. Cliff Palace Overlooks Cliff Palace is the park’s largest cliff dwelling. You will find several views from overlooks; all from different angles and all worthwhile. On the Mesa Top Loop Drive, we recommend stopping at Sun Point View to see it and several other cliff dwellings along the canyon walls. Balcony House Overlook Balcony House is medium-sized cliff dwelling with 40 rooms, including two kivas. Although not visible from the roadway, you can view Balcony House from the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail, a 1.25 mile (1.9 km) roundtrip hike. (See map on page 2) Spruce Tree House A much closer view is available from Sun Temple, the last stop on the Mesa Top Loop. Another fantastic viewpoint is just a short walk along a paved trail from the Cliff Palace parking lot. This is located along the Cliff Palace/Balcony House Loop Drive. (See map on on page 2) Balcony House from Soda Canyon Overlook Explore On Your Own Mesa Top Loop Road is a 6-mile (10 km) drive with short paved trails to view twelve easily-accessible archeological sites, including surface sites and cliff dwelling overlooks. Highlights include Square Tower House Overlook, and views of Cliff Palace from Sun Point View and Sun Temple. The Mesa Top Loop Road is open daily, 8:00 am to sunset. Cliff Palace Loop Road is open daily, 8:00 am to sunset. Highlights include a spectacular view of Cliff Palace and the 1.2 mile (1.9 km) Soda Canyon Overlook Trail with views of Balcony House. Petroglyph Point Trail begins near the museum. This adventurous trail winds below the edge of Chapin Mesa and leads to a large petroglyph panel located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from the trailhead. The trail is rugged and rocky along the canyon wall to the panel. After the panel, you’ll scramble up a large stone staircase to the top, and enjoy an easy return through forest to complete the loop. Register at the trailhead. Bring plenty of water! Spruce Canyon Trail starts from the top of Chapin Mesa and follows along the bottom of Spruce Canyon. This scenic trail winds through excellent wildlife habitat. A steep climb leads out of the canyon and then passes through the picnic area before returning to the museum. Register at the trailhead. Bring plenty of water! Far View Sites Complex is a mesa top community that was a place of modest homes interspersed with small farm fields between 900 and 1300. Follow the woodland trail among six sites to learn about Ancestral Pueblo life in the surrounding landscape. The level, unpaved ¾-mile

Visitor Activities National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Mesa Verde National Park April 14 to May 24, 2019 Ranger-guided tour of Cliff Palace Welcome to Mesa Verde National Park! Mesa Verde offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from 550 to 1300. Today, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. From the many sites located here and in the surrounding Four Corners area, archeologists have compiled one of the most significant chapters in the story of ancient America. Visiting the Park Spring is a lovely time to visit. Many opportunities are available to help you experience Mesa Verde. Most activities depend on weather and road conditions, so please check with a ranger before beginning any of the described activities. Guide booklets are available at the Mesa Verde Visitor Center, Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, and at sites along the Mesa Top Loop Road. Stop at the Visitor Center or Museum to plan your visit. Spruce Tree House Overlook Spruce Tree House is the park’s third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling. Constructed between 1211 and 1278, it was built into a natural alcove. It contains 130 rooms, eight kivas, and may have housed 60 to 80 people. You can observe Spruce Tree House from points near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. Cliff Palace (ticket required) Cliff Palace is the park’s largest cliff dwelling. Ranger-guided tours are one hour in length, with a walking distance of 1/4 mile (400 m). You will climb four, 8- to 10-foot (2.6-3 m) ladders, for a 100-foot (30 m) overall vertical ascent. Spruce Tree House Tickets are required. Purchase tickets at the Visitor Center near the park entrance or at the Durango Welcome Center at 802 Main Avenue. •April 14 to May 24, 2019 Tour times: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; every hour Tours begin at the Cliff Palace Overlook, a 23-mile (37 km), 1-hour drive from the Visitor Center. Balcony House (ticket required) Balcony House is the most adventurous cliff dwelling tour. This one-hour tour involves climbing a 32-foot (10 m) ladder; crawling through a 12foot (3.7 m) long by 18-inch (46 cm) wide tunnel, and climbing 60 feet (20 m) up an exposed cliff face, using two 10- to 12-foot (3.0 - 3.7 m) ladders and a series of stone steps. Tours begin at the north end of the Balcony House parking lot, a 25-mile (40 km), 1-hour drive from the Visitor Center. Tickets are required. Purchase tickets at the Visitor Center near the park entrance or at the Durango Welcome Center at 802 Main Avenue. •May 19 to May 24, 2019 Tour times: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm; every hour Long House (ticket required) Long House on Wetherill Mesa offers the most in-depth tour. The two-hour tour involves hiking 2.25 miles (3.6 km) round-trip and climbing two, 15-foot (4.5 km) ladders within the site. Elevation gain is about 130 feet (40 m). Tours begin at the Wetherill Mesa Information Kiosk, a 27-mile (43.5 km), 1-1/4 hour drive from the Visitor Center. 32-foot entance ladder Tickets are required. Purchase tickets at the Visitor Center near the park entrance or at the Durango Welcome Center at 802 Main Avenue. •May 19 to May 24, 2019 Tour times: 9:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:00 pm Explore On Your Own Exhibits at the Visitor Center and Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum provide insights into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people. The Visitor Center is located just off U.S. Highway 160, near the park entrance. The museum is located 22 miles (35 km) from the Visitor Center, on Chapin Mesa. A 25-minute video is shown at the museum every half hour. See Visitor Services below for visitor center, museum, and store hours. Petroglyph Point Trail begins near the museum. This 2.4-mile (3.9 km) moderately strenuous trail leads to a large petroglyph panel. If there is snow or ice, you may be directed to hike via the mesa top section of the trail. If dry, it can be hiked as a full loop. Check with a ranger at the museum for trail conditions and to sign the register. Mesa Top Loop Road is a 6-mile (10 km) drive with short paved trails to view twelve easily-accessible archeological sites, including surface sites and cliff dwelling overlooks. Highlights include Square Tower House Overlook, and views of Cliff Palace from Sun Point View and Sun Temple. The Mesa Top Loop Road is open daily, 8:00 am to sunset. Cliff Palace Loop Road is open daily, 8:00 am to sunset. Highlights include Balcony House (see page 1 for information on tours and tickets), views of Cliff Palace, and the 1.2 mile (1.9 km) Soda Canyon Overlook Trail. Visitor Services National Park Service 970-529-4465, www.nps.gov/meve Mesa Verde Museum Association, Park Partner 970-529-4445, www.mesaverde.org Information Visitor Center, Store, Tour Tickets, and ATM April 14 to May 24 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Chapin Mesa Archeological Muse

Wetherill Mesa Visitor Guide, 2019 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior April 28 to October 31, 2019 Mesa Verde National Park Exploring Wetherill Mesa Stabilization crew prepping Long House which is opened May 19 to October 19. Wetherill Mesa: An Unhurried Experience Welcome to the “quieter side” of Mesa Verde. Wetherill Mesa offers a number of opportunities, depending on the season. Use this visitor guide to discover what is available at the time of your visit. Wetherill Mesa has easy bicycle rides and a variety of hiking trails to archeological sites, as well as expansive views and scenic overlooks. Some trails are open for bicycles, while others are for pedestrians only. Please check signs at trailheads before taking your bike or pet on any trail. Step House and Long House are open for visitors between May 19 and October 19. See inside for details. This is an ideal area for families who want to get out of the car to explore Mesa Verde! Getting There - The Wetherill Mesa Road The Wetherill Mesa Road begins at milepost 15 along the main park road in the Far View Area. The 12-mile (19 km) road is narrow, steep, and winding, offering spectacular views of the surrounding valleys. It is not suitable for large RVs or bicycles. Vehicles must be less than 25 feet long to drive this road. Vehicles over 8,000 lbs GVW are prohibited. Allow about 45 minutes to drive the Wetherill Mesa Road. There are several overlooks and pullouts available for slower traffic to use so others may pass. Overlook along the Wetherill Mesa Road Open April 28 (or when road conditions permit) to October 31 (or when closed by weather/road conditions). April 28 to May 24 and September 15 to October 31 8:00 am to 6:00 pm May 25 to September 14 8:00 am to 7:00 pm Wetherill Mesa Information Kiosk (Open May 19 to October 19) The Wetherill Mesa Information Kiosk is located near the parking area at the end of the Wetherill Mesa Road. Rangers are available to help you plan your visit. The paved Long House Loop begins at the kiosk and leads to several paved and unpaved trails you can hike or bicycle. See inside for details. May 19 to May 24 and September 15 to October 19 The kiosk is open daily, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Picnic tables, restrooms, and sales area are all located nearby. Wetherill Mesa Information Kiosk May 25 to September 14 The kiosk is open daily, 9:00 am to 6:30 pm. Picnic tables, restrooms, and sales area are located nearby. A snack service is available 10:00 am to 4:00 pm through September 2. Wetherill Mesa Visitor Guide, 2019 Parking Lot Step House (end of Wetherill Mesa Road) (self-guided) Wetherill Mesa Information Kiosk 7240ft 2208m May 19 to October 19 only - no entry when gate is closed - No motorized vehicles past this point. 0.4mi 0.8km Food Service Summer only 0.5mi 0.8km 0.6mi 1.0km 0.7mi 1.1km Nordenskiöld Site #16 overlook trail 0.35mi 0.56km 0.15mi 0.24km 0.25mi 0.4km 0.25mi 0.4km Lo (tour ticket required) - no entry before or after tours - p oo eL us Ho Long House May 19 to October 19 only 0.2mi 0.32km ng 0.2mi 0.32km Badger House Community trail Long House overlook trail 1.0mi 1.6km 0.9mi 1.4km Long House Loop paved trail (5mi/10km) Kodak House overlook trail Long House Loop paved trail Cliff dwelling open to public when ranger is present Trail Mesa top dwelling open to public Cliff dwelling overlook Information kiosk Restrooms MV Shaded picnic area Food service Wi-Fi Mileages Long House Loop paved trail Badger House Community trail From trailhead at restrooms From kiosk, via trail Nordenskiöld Site #16 trail from trailhead Long House and Kodak House Overlook trails 5 mile loop 1 mile round-trip 2.25 miles round-trip 1 mile round-trip 0.15 mile round-trip From Kiosk to: Badger House Community (trailhead at restrooms) via trail 0.6 mile one-way via road 1.25 miles one-way Step House 1 mile round-trip loop Nordenskiöld Site #16 Overlook 2.0 miles round-trip From Kiosk to: Long House Overlook trailhead, via road 1.5 miles one-way Kodak House Overlook trailhead, via road 2.25 miles one-way From Kodak House Overlook trailhead to: Badger House Community restrooms via road, east side 1.55 miles, one-way Please follow Leave No Trace principles. Stay on trails and pack out your trash. Bicyclists, you are sharing the trails with pedestrians. Please yield to pedestrians. Wetherill Mesa Visitor Guide, 2019 Things to Do • The 5-mile (8 km) Long House Loop (paved) is great for hiking or bicycle riding, as well as leashed pets, and is wheelchair accessible. Bike racks are provided at trailheads; we recommend you wear helmets and lock your bikes. • Hike or ride your bicycle to the trailhead for the Kodak House overlook (about 2.25 miles [3.6 km] from kiosk on the Long House Loop) or Long House overlook (about 1.5 miles [2.4 km] from kiosk on the Long House Loop). Park your bikes at the trailheads, then take short 0.15 mile (0.24 km) walks to the o

CLIFF PALACE M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K T oday only swifts and swallows and insects inhabit the airy alcove that protects Cliff Palace. But 800 years ago the dwelling was bustling with human activity. In this stunning community deep in the heart of Mesa Verde, Ancestral Pueblo people carried on the routine of their daily lives. This was also an important location within their world. Archeological research in the late 1990s reveals that Cliff Palace is different from most other sites at Mesa Verde, both in how it was built and in how it was used. A ranger-led walk down into Cliff Palace provides a closer look at the layout and construction of the building, and gives tantalizing hints at what makes this site unique. The one hour guided walk requires a ticket. You will descend uneven stone steps and climb four ladders for a 100 foot vertical climb. Total distance is about ¼ mile round trip (.4 km). The crown jewel of Mesa Verde National Park and an architectural masterpiece by any standard, Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. From the rimtop overlooks, the collection of rooms, plazas, and towers fits perfectly into the sweeping sandstone overhang that has largely protected it, unpeopled and silent, since the thirteenth century. It’s impossible to be certain why Ancestral Pueblo people decided to move into the cliff-side alcoves about AD 1200 and build elaborate and expensive structures like Cliff Palace. However, the sciences of archeology, ethnography, dendrochronology and a host of other disciplines offer us insights into this era in our region’s history. 2 C L I F F P A L A C E “An Enchanted Castle” One snowy December day in 1888, two cowboys from nearby Mancos chanced upon Cliff Palace while they were out herding cattle. Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law, Charlie Mason, emerged from the dense pinyon-juniper forest at the edge of the canyon. Through a veil of blowing snow they observed what they said looked like “a magnificent city” in the cliffs across the canyon. After news of their ‘discovery’ spread, other people, including Richard’s brother Al, stepped forward and claimed to have seen it earlier. Others, including the Ute Indians whose reservation then included Cliff Palace, did know about the site and its location, but it was the Wetherill family who made it famous by excavating the site and escorting visitors to see the ancient city. The first person the Wetherills escorted to Cliff Palace was Frederick Chapin, who vacationed in the area in 1889 and 1890. Chapin, an experienced mountaineer, lowered a rope over the ledge and climbed down into the dwelling. He wrote: “It occupies a great space under a grand oval cliff, appearing like a ruined fortress, with ramparts, bastions, and dismantled This modern photograph was taken near the point where the site was first seen by the Wetherills in 1888. 3 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K towers. The stones in front have broken away; but behind them rise the walls of a second story, and in the rear of these, in under the dark cavern, stands the third tier of masonry. Still farther back in the gloomy recess, little houses rest on upper ledges.” Chapin suggested that Cliff Palace be turned into a museum and “filled with relics.” Chapin Mesa is named for him. In 1891, a young Swedish scientist named Gustaf Nordenskiöld came to Mesa Verde and was guided to Cliff Palace by the Wetherills. In his classic publication, The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde, Nordenskiöld wrote of how “strange and in the mysterious twilight of the cavern, and defying in 4 C L I F F Gustaf Nordenskiöld P A L A C E their sheltered site the ravages of time, it resembles at a distance an enchanted castle.” Among Nordenskiöld’s important contributions were careful measurements and drawings, a recorded numbering system of the site’s rooms, and fine black-and-white photographs. Over the next decade, Cliff Palace became a popular destination for explorers and tourists. Some camped within its walls, removed W illiam Henry Jackson, one of the best known frontier photographers of the American West, made the first photograph of a cliff dwelling on Mesa Verde in 1874. It was of Two-Story House, located on Moccasin Mesa just outside the modern boundaries of Mesa Verde National Park. Jackson was working for the U.S. Geological Survey. With his colleague, William Henry Holmes, the two men opened the eyes of the world to the rich archeological treasures of Mesa Verde through their combined photographs and writings. Later, as a successful commercial photographer, Jackson sold prints of Mesa Verde, including this image of Cliff Palace, in his collection of western landscape photographs. 5 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K precious artifacts or damaged the site. Concerns for the protection of Cliff Palace and other archeological sites were raised by the Wetherills and others, and led to the establishment of M

BALCONY HOUSE M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K A visit to Balcony House provides an inside look at a classic 13th-century cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park. This is one of the best preserved sites in the park. T o visit Balcony House, you must join a ranger-guided tour. The tour requires moderate physical exertion and a sense of adventure: you’ll climb three long ladders; navigate a steep trail with some exposure on cliff faces; and crawl through a narrow 12 foot (3.7 m) long tunnel. Group size is limited, and tours gather at scheduled times at the Balcony House parking area on the Cliff Palace Loop drive. The site is open from May to October. Balcony House is located 6,700 feet (2043 m) above sea level. The trip is not recommended for people with heart or breathing problems or those who are afraid of heights. 2 The village offers a stunning view down into Soda Canyon, a tributary of the Mancos River, and displays intriguing architectural features: balconies, a long parapet wall, and a tunnel. The builders of Balcony House are now known as Ancestral Pueblo people. They were farmers who lived and grew crops on the mesa tops until about A.D. 1300. However, beginning about A.D. 1200, many chose to build their homes in cliff-side alcoves. Their lives were filled with hard work but were probably also rich in ritual and ceremony. And while the Ancestral Pueblo people raised turkeys, and stored corn, beans, and squash to last through the long winters, they also had a keen knowledge of the uses of wild plants and animals. Although Balcony House now feels isolated and remote, in the 13th century it was part of a much larger community. Eleven small sites have been counted in the immediate vicinity, and many significant larger ones are within easy walking distance. Cliff Palace, one of the largest cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, is only about a half mile away. Architecture Balcony House is a typical Mesa Verde cliff dwelling: it’s a medium-sized two-story masonry structure, which was built about the same time as B A L C O N Y H O U S E The North Plaza of Balcony House features the best preserved balcony the other cliff dwellings in the park. and is bordered by an extraordinary The builders used materials available all parapet wall. around them—sandstone, sometimes shaped into rectangular blocks and pecked on the surface. The stones were set in wet mortar mixed from tan, sandy soils and smoothed by the people’s own hands. Smaller chinking stones were inserted into the mortar, and might have helped level the walls and create tighter joints. Some parts of Balcony House show careful attention to craftsmanship, while in other places the masonry is less meticulous and looks hastily done. Once the walls were built, some surfaces were completely plastered over, hiding the fine rock work. Original plaster, sometimes several layers thick, can still be seen in a few rooms. Archeologists count 38 rooms and two kivas in Balcony House, and they divide the site into three plazas or courtyards with associated rooms: the Lower Plaza, the North Plaza, and the Kiva Plaza. Significant planning and engineering skills were required to build two deep kivas side by side in the center of the site. Both kivas are examples of the signature Mesa Verde style kiva. Typical characteristics include a ‘keyhole’ shape, six pilasters, a 3 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K B A L C O N Y H O U S E FAC T S ◆ alcove is 39 feet (12 m) deep and 20 (6 m) feet high ◆ complex is 264 feet (80 m) long ◆ 38 rooms and 2 kivas ◆ built 600 feet (183 m) above Soda Canyon floor ◆ constructed intermittently AD 1180 to 1270 4 B A L C O N Y H O U S E A construction history of Balcony House based on tree-ring dating. A.D. 1250 banquette or bench around the interior, a fireplace and ventilator shaft, and the sipapu in the floor. Originally the kivas were roofed and a ladder led down through a hole in the roof. Other than the side-by-side kivas, the overall layout of Balcony House was probably determined by the size and shape of the rock alcove. Balcony House was named for its primary architectural feature, the balconies in the North Plaza. One of the finest examples of balconies in an Ancestral Puebloan site, they remain intact between the first and second stories of the central rooms. The residents used the balconies to move from one second-story room to another, and they may also have used them as work spaces at times. A retaining wall runs along the entire front of the alcove. Fill behind this wall A.D. 1270 A.D. 1275 A.D. 1280 5 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K created level surfaces on build to build, and the parapet provided some measure of security for those who lived on the edge of this deep canyon. Age and Change The builders of Balcony House chose mostly juniper wood for roof beams and other supports. This wood is valuable to archeologists because it provides construction dates for the stru

SPRUCE TREE HOUSE PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 2013SpruceTree_bklt.indd 1 4/4/14 8:36 AM M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K W elcome to Spruce Tree House, the third largest and best preserved cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park. The short but steep walk rewards you with an intimate look at a village occupied by Ancestral Pueblo people between about A.D. 1200 and 1280. The loop trail begins and ends on the mesa top just outside the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. Round trip distance is about ½-mile (1km); elevation change is about 100 feet (30 m). If you wish to avoid stair steps, follow the trail signs into the site and then retrace your path to return to the rim rather than completing the loop. Please take your time and visit this ancient community with respect. Spruce Tree House is one of more than 600 cliff dwellings within Mesa Verde National Park, but is much larger than most. Most cliff dwellings here are set in alcoves in the Cliff House Sandstone, and consist of just a few rooms. As you enter this unusually large alcove site, remember the smaller nearby villages that were inhabited at about the same time. Spruce Tree House was part of an extended community that included a few large cliff dwellings, many small settlements in alcoves, and some mesa top villages, farms, and gardens. Spruce Tree House was first systematically excavated in 1908 by Dr. Jesse Walter Fewkes. Early explorers named it for the towering Douglas-fir trees (historically referred to as spruce trees) found in the canyon bottom below the alcove. T he hard, reddish-brown nodules in the sandstone around you are naturally occurring, hard masses of iron oxide and/or calcium carbonate called concretions. They were deposited as mineralized water moved through the sandstone, sometimes encasing pebbles or filling small voids with the minerals carried in the water. Some concretions look like pipes, some are hollow, others are solid.The Ancestral Pueblo people used and modified similar concretions. 2 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 2013SpruceTree_bklt.indd 2 4/4/14 8:36 AM S P R U C E T R E E H O U S E 1 The forest around you and throughout the park is very similar to the environment the Ancestral Pueblo people knew and used. Slow-growing piñon pine and juniper trees, yucca, Utah serviceberry, chokecherry and Gambel oak are common here. The Ancestral Pueblo people harvested these plants, and many more, for construction materials, firewood, food, clothing, tools and medicine. Although the trail you are using did not exist in ancient times, there are several hand-andtoe-hold trails near the head of Spruce Canyon that Ancestral Pueblo people pecked into the stone cliffs and used to travel up and down the canyon walls. They climbed up to work their fields, gather food, and hunt on the mesa tops, then climbed down again, carrying whatever they needed back into Spruce Tree House. Continue down the switchback trail, staying to the left at the sign. 2 Are you enjoying this shady spot? The vegetation here is well watered by a nearby natural seep spring. Stay on the trail as you walk up to see it; poison ivy thrives here too. This was the main water source for the residents of Spruce Tree House. Seep springs form where rain and snowmelt percolate down through porous sandstone to an impermeable layer of shale 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor 2013SpruceTree_bklt.indd 3 4/4/14 8:36 AM M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K Ladles were used to fill jars for storage and use. (notice the grey layer in the back of the alcove). The water seeps out where the sandstone meets the shale. Ancestral Pueblo people used much less water than we do today, but they probably supplemented the water this small spring provided whenever possible. During summer thunderstorms, they collected rain water in pottery vessels carefully placed to catch runoff from above. There is one unusual room in Spruce Tree House containing a large, plastered sub-floor pit that may have been a cistern where water was stored for later use. Ancestral Pueblo people maintained reservoirs on mesa tops and in canyon bottoms and built check dams across drainages; the small dams captured the soil and moisture so important to farming. Check dams helped They grew corn, beans, and squash in their small fields, collect soil and surface water for small pockets and encouraged wild edible and useful plants wherever of crops. they could. Mesa Verde receives an average of 18 inches of precipitation annually today and has a frost-free growing season averaging about 150 days. Tree ring and pollen evidence suggests conditions were similar when they lived here. Archeologists find thousands of small corn cobs, dried squash stems and seeds, and the occasional cach

SUGGESTED DONATION $1 WETHERILL MESA Long House Step House In 2016 the National Park Service celebrates 100 years of caring for America’s natural and historic treasures. Join us in our second century of stewardship. Learn, have fun and make memories in our national parks. M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K W etherill Mesa, located on the west side of Mesa Verde National Park, is a long, narrow peninsula of land bounded by deep canyons with many natural alcoves in the sandstone cliffs. A visit to Wetherill Mesa allows you to explore a sequence of archeological sites that offer glimpses of nearly 700 years of Ancestral Puebloan life. It is a 12-mile (19-km) drive from the road junction at Far View to the Wetherill Mesa parking lot. You may visit Step House on your own without a ticket. Tickets are required for the ranger-guided tour into Long House. Wetherill Mesa looking south. Step House to Far View STEP HOUSE L parking o g n W C a Trail to Nordenskiold #16 Overlook n E y o T Ro n H ck BADGER HOUSE COMMUNITY E R Ca n LONG HOUSE I n L yo L Trail to Long House ou E H M Lo n g N s e S Lo op A Long House 2 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K LONG HOUSE FACTS ◆ village set in 298' long alcove with a curving back wall ◆ about 150 rooms and 21 kivas ◆ beams date from A.D. 1145–1279 ◆ inhabited by 150 to 175 people 4 W E T H E R I L L M E S A LONG HOUSE Ranger-led tours of Long House are offered several times each day during summer and are about 90 minutes long. Tickets are required; be sure to purchase a tour ticket before you drive to Wetherill Mesa. Roundtrip distance of the tour is 0.75 mile (1.2 km), with stairs and switchbacks leading into and out of the dwelling. There is a 130-foot (40-m) change in elevation. Once in Long House, you will climb two 15-foot (4.6-m) ladders and descend an uneven stone staircase. Long House, approximately equal in size to Cliff Palace, fills an expansive 298-foot-long sandstone alcove from end to end. The village includes about 150 rooms, 21 kivas, and a row of upper storage rooms. It may have been home to as many as 175 people. There are architectural features in Long House which suggest it was also a public place where people from all over Wetherill Mesa gathered to trade or hold community events. A wellpreserved four-story triangular tower rises from floor to ceiling at the far west end of the alcove. The formal plaza in the center of the site is larger than in most villages, with unusual features for Mesa Verde archeological sites. The benches, vaults, and raised firebox suggest to some scientists that this large open space was a dance plaza or great kiva, similar to Fire Temple on Chapin Mesa. Additionally, the the high number of rooms and kivas in Long House, plus the presence of the formal plaza, suggest the community was a particularly significant place for Ancestral Pueblo people, perhaps serving both civic and ceremonial functions. In 1891, Swedish scientist Gustaf Nordenskiöld was guided into Long House by members of the Wetherill family, for whom Wetherill Mesa was named. In his classic publication, 5 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde, Nordenskiöld described “a long row of half dilapidated walls in a high-vaulted cave. It is this ruin that has received the name of Long House . . .” He added Long House to his numbering system, and carved “No 15” into bedrock in two places. Nordenskiöld believed the more complex architecture of the tall tower and the kivas in Long House indicated some level of community planning, but in his opinion the “arrangement of the other rooms shows an almost entire want of system.” He suggested that the small upper openings were used by archers, with bows and arrows poised, to protect the village from intruders. Today, archeologists think the openings may have served as visual aids to nearby landscape and village features and admitted fresh air and light. Long House, as photographed by Gustaf Nordenskiöld in 1891. Home The earliest masonry rooms from the cliff dwelling period are at the rear of the alcove. As time passed, the residents frequently added, abandoned, reoccupied, and remodeled rooms. The spaces were simple and functional: a room with a small corner hearth, a workspace against a cooler back wall, a terraced garden plot or a turkey pen. As in other alcove sites, the builders of 6 W E T H E R I L L M E S A All the wooden beams in place at Long House are original, and were cut between A.D. 1145 and 1279. The ladders pictured here are modern and for the visitors' convenience. Long House built stone retaining walls which they filled with soil to level the naturally sloping floor. The residents also repaired and reinforced lower walls as upper stories were added. Although village lay-out evolved over time, construction techniques were sophisticated. The sandstone blocks often were finely dressed, la

SUGGESTED DONATION $1 FAR VIEW SITES Archeological Evidence and Scientific Insights Support Your Park www.mesaverde.org M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K W elcome to the Far View Community, where the lives of ancient farmers, modern scientists and tribal descendants intersect. A thousand years ago, this community was a place of family homes and public buildings set among small farm fields. It was filled with people, vibrant life, and constant change. As you follow the woodland trail among six excavated archeological sites, read the trailside signs to learn about life on the farmsteads of the landscape around you. Beginning in the early 1900s, Far View was a place of active research and public visitation. Use this guide to explore scientific evidence that help us understand this 1000-year-old community. The six excavated structures you will visit provide more than information about the Ancestral Puebloan homes and public places. Work on these sites helped establish the science of archeology in the American Southwest, and inspired present-day thinking about how to preserve and appreciate a cultural landscape. As you visit each stop, you’ll read examples of how different sciences helped archeologists uncover valuable information for that structure, the Far View Community, and the Mesa Verde area. Excavation crew at Far View House, 1916 2 F A R V I E W S I T E S The descendants of the people who lived at Far View, and throughout the Four Corners region, also have much to teach us about their ancestors' lifestyles. Mesa Verde routinely consults with tribal representatives from 23 pueblos and tribes, for whom archeological sites have personal meaning and help document their unwritten history. If you’d like to "meet" a few of the archeologists who worked at Far View, look for the Learning from the Past sign located on the back of the Welcome to the Far View Community sign near the parking circle. U nlike Cliff Palace and Spruce Tree House, the Far View Sites on the mesa top are not protected by alcoves. After the Ancestral Puebloan people left this area, weathering gradually knocked down the upper walls and provided a covering of wind-blown soil, fallen rock, and vegetation that actually protected artifacts and lower portions of walls. Excavating the sites exposed them to renewed and ongoing damage from wind, rain, snow, and changing temperatures. Far View House Pipe Shrine House Far View Tower Megalithic House Trailhead Far View Reservoir To Visitor and Research Center and park entrance Trailhead information Parking area Interpretive exhibit Restroom Hiking trail Coyote Village North To park headquarters, Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, and cliff dwellings 3 M E S A V E R D E N A T I O N A L P A R K Far View House and Tree-ring Dating Far View House commanded a stunning view of the canyons of Mesa Verde and nearby mountains in four states. Trees block some of the view today, but in the CE 1000s (CE = current era, replaces AD) residents could look out to the far mountains from their second-story rooftops. When this site was first excavated in 1916, archeologists found a large pile of building stone covering the lower walls and masonry foundations--far more stone than a one-story building would require. They also observed sockets, small openings built into the This 1934 photo shows wall sockets and stonework extending well masonry to support wooden beams. above the sockets, indicators that The sockets still contained mortar this part of the ancient structure showing impressions of the wooden was at least 2 stories tall. beams that they once supported. These beams, called vigas, formed the ceiling of the first story, and supported the floor of the second story. Archeologists use tree-ring dating (dendrochronology) to reveal the age of wood in archeological sites. It's an important scientific tool that requires samples of wood or charcoal from the excavation. Charcoal found buried beneath walls and floors of the structure you see today provided the oldest tree-ring dates: the trees were cut in the CE 800s and 900s. Later dates found in some rooms show that people repeatedly rebuilt portions or renovated structures on this location over 350 years. 4 F A R V I E W S I T E S H ow does dendrochronology work? Many trees produce one growth ring per year. Trees from the same region tend to develop the same distinctive patterns of ring widths year by year. These patterns can be compared and matched ring-for-ring with rings from trees growing at the same time, in the same geographical region and climate. Scientists match the growth pattern of tree rings to the years the tree lived, to determine when a structure was built, as shown in this illustration from a 1932 Park brochure. What we see of Far View House today illustrates the final stage of Ancestral Pueblo occupation at this site. Beneath these walls, older buried foundations, beams, and broken pottery showed archeo

SUGGESTED DONATION $1 MESA TOP LOOP MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK “Welcome to Mesa Verde. I’m a Pueblo person... I want you to know that there are still descendants of the people who lived here, that we are still here on this world and we didn’t mysteriously disappear. We still do a lot of the same things that our forefathers did when they were living here… carrying on the tradition, culture, songs, dances, languages.” Y MESA TOP LOOP ou are about to embark on a remarkable journey through time. At the 11 stops along this six-mile (9.5 km) drive you will discover pithouses, pueblos, and cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Pueblo people over the seven centuries they called Mesa Verde home. Here, they built homes, raised families, celebrated with friends, and buried loved ones. With this guide, we will explore the traditions and innovations that helped the Pueblo people create a resilient culture that endures today among the 21 Pueblos of New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. — Peter Pino, Zia Pueblo Mesa Verde is a sacred place where Pueblo people come to honor their ancestors. Please visit with respect: • Follow posted speed limits. • Be mindful of bicycle and pedestrian traffic. • Stay on marked trails; please do not enter closed areas. • Do not touch, sit, stand, or lean on fragile ancient walls. • Disturbing, defacing, or removing artifacts is illegal. • Leashed dogs are allowed on Mesa Top Loop trails. • Pick up and dispose of dog waste. • Smoking or eating in any site is prohibited. 2 3 MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK MESA TOP LOOP Pithouse 600 CE Navajo Canyon View What makes a place a home? Abundant resources? Closeness to family? Generations of memories? Here you see one of the oldest permanent structures built on the mesa, where early Ancestral Pueblo settlers enjoyed many of the same comforts we enjoy in our homes today. Though nomadic people lived in the surrounding area for thousands of years, permanent farmsteads began to appear on the mesa around 550. Planting corn, beans, and squash, along with continuing to hunt and gather wild foods, gave them a more reliable and balanced food supply. The transition to farming allowed the Pueblo people to set down roots. This new lifestyle spurred traditions and innovations that would last for centuries. Resourceful and attuned to their environment, the Ancestral Pueblo people took advantage of the earth’s natural insulation by building pithouses—semi-subterranean homes. The atlatl and spear were replaced with a lighter and more accurate hunting tool: the bow and arrow. Light and portable basketry made way for durable pottery, better for storing and cooking food. Hopi families continue the tradition of dryland farming. Corn remains at the heart of Pueblo art, culture, and ceremony. 4 8,571 feet (2,621 m) 6,350 feet (1,935 m) Imagine you are an Ancestral Pueblo person looking for a place to build a home. Can you identify the resources that make this a good place to live? You are standing at 7,000 feet (2,130 m). This might seem like a high place to farm. However, the southward slope of this plateau provides more sunlight and warmth, lengthening the growing season. The prevailing southwesterly wind also deposits rich sediment. Mesa Verde receives an average of 18 inches (46 cm) of precipitation annually, split between winter snow and late-summer thunderstorms. This pattern allows for farming without irrigation. The porous sandstone caprock soaks up some of the seasonal moisture. The water percolates through the rock before seeping out, forming springs below the canyon rim. These seep springs provide an important water source to plants, animals, and people alike. Over time, water-laden rock dissolves carving the alcoves you see across canyon. The mesa is home to more than 1,000 species of plants and animals. These species provided food, tools, clothing, and medicine. Today, the landscape provides a dramatic backdrop, but for the Ancestral Pueblo people, the land supplied everything. What natural resources make your home a good place to live? 5 MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK MESA TOP LOOP Objects from the Cliff Dwellings: Due to the arid climate many objects found in the cliff dwellings are remarkably well preserved. Prairie dog skin pouch filled with salt Coiled length of yucca fiber rope, 1,300 feet (400 m) long Woven cotton cloth with geometric pattern Decorated black-on-white jar and mug If archeologists were to excavate your home many years from now, what would they find? How would they interpret your life? 6 Square Tower House 1200-1300 CE At the first stop, you saw one of the earliest permanent homes built on the mesa. Here, you see one of their most spectacular architectural achievements, built six centuries later. This cliff dwelling includes the tallest standing architecture in Mesa Verde, a four-story, 27-foot (8 m) tall structure that was part of an even larger building complex. Although the site has been stabilized by archeologists, 90% is o

World Heritage Sites in the United States Governor’s House, La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historical Site Red-footed booby, Papahaˉnaumokuaˉ kea Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park © HARVEY BARRISON © KRIS KRUG JEFF SULLIVAN PHOTOGRAPHY 2 Kluane /  Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay /  Tatshenshini-Alsek 1 Statue of Liberty Grand Canyon National Park © MICHAEL BELL PIXABAY/SKEEZE © MICHAEL LOYD Olympic National Park 3 WA SH I N GTO N - 19 81 Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park vii • ix vii • viii • ix • x A L A SK A (US), C A N A DA - 1979 Features temperate rainforest, glaciers, peaks, alpine meadows, old-growth forest, and wilderness coastline. Critical habitat for endangered species including northern spotted owl and bull trout. www.nps.gov/olym Over 24 million acres of wild lands and waters are changed by glaciers and volcanic activity. www.nps.gov/glba, www.nps.gov/wrst www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/yt/kluane www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore vii • ix © MIKE CRISS Montana (US), Canada - 1995 World’s first international peace park. Rich biodiversity and outstanding scenery with prairie, forest, alpine, and glacial features. www.nps.gov/glac www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/waterton/ Grinnell Point © MIKE KOCH Old Faithful © MARK STEVENS 23 © STEVE BOND Yellowstone National Park vii • viii • ix • x Renowned for geothermal features, Yellowstone has the world’s largest concentration of geysers. Protects grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. www.nps.gov/yell iii • iv I L L I N O I S - 19 82 With over 1,100 properties, the World Heritage List This urban complex flourished 1000– 1350 CE (Common Era). Regional center for prehistoric Mississippian culture. www.cahokiamounds.org shows a shared global commitment to preserve the world’s most important natural and cultural sites. Monks Mound Learn more about the World Heritage sites in the 22 4 Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Preserved for All Humanity W YO M I N G, M O N TA N A , I DA H O - 1978 © JIM WARK/AIRPHOTO United States, described here with selection criteria Redwood National and State Parks This gift from France to the United States is a symbol of international friendship, peace, progress, freedom, democracy, and human migration. Renowned for art and engineering. www.nps.gov/stli World Heritage Sites in the United States can be pur- Coastal mountain home to California brown pelicans, sea lions, bald eagles, and ancient redwood forest—the world’s tallest trees. www.nps.gov/redw i • vi N E W YO R K - 19 8 4 scription year, and websites. The Passport booklet C A L I F O R N I A - 19 8 0 Statue of Liberty 5 in Roman numerals (details other side), location, in- vii • ix Black bear, Great Smoky Mountains National Park chased at www.eparks.com. For more on the World Pixabay Heritage List: whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/us. © AMY HUDECHEK Natural Papahaˉnaumokuaˉkea iii • vi • viii • ix • x Cultural Mixed 21 6 H AWA I I - 2010 Independence Hall This vast living “cultural seascape” embodies kinship of people to place in Native Hawaiian cosmology. Includes seamounts, endemic species, critical habitats, and coral reefs. www.papahanaumokuakea.gov vi P EN N S Y LVA N I A - 1979 An international symbol of freedom and democracy, this 18th-century building is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were created and signed. www.nps.gov/inde Greg McFall / NOAA 20 Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park © TODD LANDRY viii H AWA I I - 19 87 Earth’s greatest mass of volcanoes, including Mauna Loa and Kilauea, tower over a “hotspot” in the mantle. Continuous geologic activity builds an ever changing landscape home to rare and endemic species. www.nps.gov/havo 21 7 PACIFIC OCEAN 0 Hawaii Everglades National Park viii • ix • x 20 F LO R I DA - 1979 800 Kilometers 0 800 Miles North America’s largest subtropical wilderness has several vital habitats for plants and animals including Florida panthers and manatees. Key area for bird migration and breeding. www.nps.gov/ever NPS Yosemite National Park 19 vii • viii © CARLTON WARD JR. C A L I F O R N I A - 19 8 4 Glacial erosion helped sculpt this scenic landscape. Soaring granite cliffs, polished domes, high waterfalls, sequoia groves, wilderness, deep-cut valleys, and alpine meadow habitats. www.nps.gov/yose 18 Chaco Culture iii Castillo San Felipe del Morro N E W M E X I CO - 19 87 © ANGEL LOPEZ Prehistoric, monumental masonry structures in Chaco Canyon, along with a network of roads and outlier sites like Aztec Ruins, exhibit the vast influence of the ancestral Puebloan culture on the Southwestern landscape. www.nps.gov/azru, www.nps.gov/chcu © JOCELYN PANTALEON HIDALGO The 20th-century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site vi © OJEFFREY PHOTOGRAPHY P U ERTO R I CO - 19 8 3 ii Strategic defensive structures represent early European military architecture, e