Located 40 miles north of Silver City, New Mexico, Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is remote. However, it is well worth the winding mountain road to get there. Once there, you can take a 1-mile loop trail that procedes up a side canyon, along a creek, and up to and through the interconnected cliff dwellings. In fact, Gila Cliff Dwellings is one of the few ancient cliff-house sites where visitors can walk in and among the rooms and alcoves on their own.
Continue reading “Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument”Moundville Archaeological Park
Moundville Archaeological Park is south of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The park protects 326 areas along the Black Warrior River. Within Moundville are the remains of an ancient Mississippian settlement. And at its height, this settlement consisted of 29 flat-topped earthen mounds, surrounding a large central plaza.
Continue reading “Moundville Archaeological Park”Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Chaco Canyon was a center of Ancesteral Puebloan culture between 850 and 1250. Because of its historical significance, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site called Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Here is a view entering the park in the late afternoon.
Continue reading “Chaco Culture National Historical Park”Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is off of US Highway 160, near Mancos and Cortez in southwest Colorado. It is most famous for its spectacular cliff dwellings built by Ancestral Puebloans starting about 700 AD. Continue reading “Mesa Verde National Park”