Colorado’s Ancient Cliff Palace + Mind-Blowing Number of Rooms

Out of the roughly 600 cliff dwellings located within Colorado's famous Mesa Verde National Park, the largest and most impressive is undoubtedly the ancient community known today as Cliff Palace.

The ancient ruins are estimated to date back to 1190 CE, with construction and renovations continuing through the year 1260.

While the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde has been a major historic landmark in Colorado since it was rediscovered in 1888 by Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason, the remarkable number of rooms that once made up the architectural marvel was widely unknown until recent years.

How Many Rooms Are in Colorado's Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde?

According to fairly new research, scientists have estimated that Cliff Palace was once home to a whopping 150 rooms, along with 23 kivas. The cliff dwellings are also said to have housed as many as 100 people at one point.

While an estimated 600 cliff dwellings have been discovered within the boundaries of Mesa Verde National Park, Cliff Palace is by far the largest. In fact, scientists believe that many of the additional cliff dwellings in the area were primarily used for storage, as opposed to housing.

Guided tours of Cliff Palace are available, and this is the only way in which visitors are allowed to explore the ancient structures.

Suppose you do find yourself exploring Cliff Palace. In that case, you may find that the ceilings of the 150 rooms are significantly shorter than those of today's standards, as it has been estimated that, at the time, men stood around 5'5", while women were around 5'1" in average height.