The Balcony House Tour At Mesa Verde National Park
Balcony House is a mid-sized cliff dwelling located in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.
Built by the Ancestral Puebloans between AD 1180 and 1270, this remarkable structure once housed approximately 30 people and contained 38 rooms and 2 kivas.
Constructed using sandstone, mortar, and wooden beams, Balcony House is nestled within a natural alcove measuring roughly 39 feet deep and 20 feet high.
The complex is 264 feet long and features two naturally-occurring seep springs nearby.
Ranger-led tours offer visitors a chance to explore Balcony House up close.
Tours run daily from May to October, last 60 minutes, and are limited to 35 participants. Reservations are required and can only be made on recreation.gov up to 14 days in advance. Tickets cost $8 per person for ages 3 and up.
Important: Be sure to print or screenshot your reservation confirmation before arriving at the park. You must present it to the ranger before your tour—entry is not allowed without it.
Tours begin at the Balcony House Parking Lot off of Cliff Palace Loop Road. Allow at least 75 minutes to drive from the park entrance and plan to arrive 15 minutes before your tour starts.
If you’re unable to participate in the tour, a virtual tour is available here.
You can also view the Balcony House at a distance from the overlook on the Soda Canyon trail.
The route includes an elevation change of approximately 100 feet and a total walking distance of about ¼ mile.
Along the way, rangers provide insights into the structure’s history and the daily lives of its inhabitants.
This is the park’s most thrilling and adventurous tour.
You’ll navigate steep, uneven stone steps, descend staircases, and climb three sturdy ladders—including a daunting 32-foot ladder right at the start.
One of the most challenging parts?
Crawling through a narrow tunnel just 18 inches wide and 27 inches tall, stretching 12 feet through the cliff. If you’re claustrophobic like me, you might want to think twice!
Cliff Palace stands as a remarkable tribute to the ingenuity of the Ancestral Puebloans and is a must-visit landmark in Mesa Verde National Park.
Whether you explore it up close on a guided tour or take in its beauty from the overlook, this site provides a captivating window into the past.
