Established by Congress on June 29, 1906, Mesa Verde was the first cultural park set aside in the National Park System. Mesa Verde National Park was also designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site on September 8, 1978 by UNESCO, a United Nations organization formed to preserve and protect both the cultural and natural heritage of designated international sites. Mesa Verde, Spanish for "Green Table," offers an unparalleled opportunity to see and experience a unique cultural and physical landscape. Visitors walk through cliff dwellings and numerous mesa top villages built by Ancestral Pueblo people between AD 600 and AD 1300.

• Mesa Verde National Park -

• To get the most out of your visit, go first to either the Far View Visitor Center (open only in the summer) or to the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum (open all year).
• Take the Knife Edge Trail.
• Visit the Cedar Tree Tower.