Mesa Verde National Park Centennial 1906-2006

On June 29, 2006 Mesa Verde will celebrate 100 years as the first National Park set aside to preserve the works of man.

Mesa Verde National Park (National Park Service)

The culture represented at Mesa Verde reflects more than 700 years of history. From approximately A.D. 600 through A.D. 1300 people lived and flourished in communities throughout the area, eventually building elaborate stone villages in the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls. Today most people call these sheltered villages “cliff dwellings”. The cliff dwellings represent the last 75 to 100 years of occupation at Mesa Verde. In the late 1200s within the span of one or two generations, they left their homes and moved away.

See also Ah, Wilderness!: Mesa Verde National Park in Southwestern Colorado