Photogenic Places in Mancos
4 places ranked by scenic score
Mancos, CO
Cliff Palace
Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America, containing approximately 150 rooms and 23 kivas built by Ancestral Puebloans around 1190-1260 CE. The alcove structure is nestled beneath a massive sandstone overhang in a canyon wall within Mesa Verde National Park. The site is accessible only via ranger-guided tours during the open season.
Mancos, CO
Balcony House
Balcony House is one of the most dramatic cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park, accessible only by climbing a 32-foot ladder and crawling through a narrow tunnel. The site contains about 40 rooms and two kivas tucked into a south-facing alcove on the cliff face. The approach provides striking views down Soda Canyon.
Mancos, CO
Spruce Tree House
Spruce Tree House is the third-largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde, containing about 130 rooms and 8 kivas built between 1211 and 1278 CE. The site sits in a deep alcove in Spruce Tree Canyon near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. Rock fall concerns have periodically restricted access, but the dwelling can be viewed and photographed from the overlook.
Mancos, CO
Mesa Verde Sun Temple
Sun Temple is a D-shaped ceremonial structure on the mesa top in Mesa Verde National Park that was never completed before the Ancestral Puebloans departed the area around 1300 CE. The double-walled masonry construction is among the finest stonework at Mesa Verde. The site sits on a prominent point between Cliff Canyon and Fewkes Canyon with views to the cliff dwellings below.