The Cliff Palace
Mile 1,351, Mesa Verde National Park, CO
Mesa Verde’s crème de la crème of cliff dwellings is Cliff Palace, an amazing and massive encampment hiding out under the mesa above. If you want to see it up close and personal, go to the park’s visitor center early and snatch up $3 tickets for a guided tour—and be prepared for short but steep hikes down to and up from the dwelling, including the climbing of multiple ladders.