National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service: U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
 
 
Find a National Park Near You
Mesa Verde National Park Archeologists working in sites.
view map
text size: largest larger normal
printer friendly
Mesa Verde National Park
Balcony House Tour
First courtyard in Balcony House
NPS PHOTO
Balcony House
 
Separator bar with triangles in color
 
32 foot ladder into Balcony House

NPS PHOTO

32 foot ladder into Balcony House

The one-hour Balcony House tour is one of the most intimate yet adventurous tours at Mesa Verde. A visit to Balcony House will challenge your fear of ladders, heights, and small spaces, and will give you the opportunity to explore the common areas of a mid-sized, 40-room dwelling.

The Balcony House tour requires visitors to descend a 100 foot staircase into the canyon; climb a 32 foot ladder; crawl through a 12 foot, 18 inches wide tunnel; and clamber up an additional 60 feet on ladders and stone steps.

Once you have your tickets, drive to the Balcony House parking lot, and meet the ranger at the benches under the shade ramada for your scheduled tour.

 

 

The Balcony House tour is strenuous due to the elevation and physical exertion required to visit the dwelling. The tour is not recommended for anyone with heart or respiratory problems. Balcony House, like all of the cliff dwellings, is located at approximately 7,000 feet elevation and involves strenuous physical activity.

You are exiting the National Park Service website

Thank you for visiting our site.

You will now be redirected to:

We hope your visit was informative and enjoyable.
Cliff Palace in the snow

Did You Know?
Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde National Park. It has 150 rooms, plus an additional 75 open areas. Twenty-one of the rooms are kivas, and 25 to 30 rooms have residential features. The number of Ancestral Puebloans living in Cliff Palace at any one time was 100 to 120.
Disclaimer Accessibility Privacy Policy FOIA Notices USA.gov

Last Updated: July 26, 2007 at 17:43 MST