Explore Balcony House

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

5.0/5

based on 2 reviews

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Distance

0.5 miles

Route Type

Loop

Description

Added by Alex Harrison

Balcony House looks out over beautiful Mesa Verde National Park and features a 12 foot-long tunnel you will have to hike through and climbing up a 60 foot open rock face.

Starting at the trail head at 7,000 feet, you will head down the trail until you get to the cliff dwellings. There will be a wooden ladder you will have to climb, a recreation of the ladder used hundreds of years ago by the tribes living there. Once you get to the top of the ladder, the trail will continue under the cliff and through the once used living area. You will then hit the tunnel where you will have to get down and crawl through. The trail then comes out of the tunnel and is a straight shot back up to the parking lot. It is steep so hold onto the chains that are on the trail.

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Explore Balcony House Reviews

Jenna Mulligan

Explore Balcony House

07/01/20

Go to the visitors center and sign up for a ranger guided tour.This experience up the ladder and through the cave was so cool. Learned so much with the ranger we had!!!

5.0

Alex Thompson

Explore Balcony House

02/22/17

Walking and climbing through Ancient Pueblo ruins and learning about the history of the settlements is a must-do when visiting the park! Balcony House gives you a more intimate experience in the ruins as opposed to the other sites in Mesa Verde. One thing the description above does not mention is that a paid guided NPS tour is required for entry into Balcony House. The tickets are $5.00 and can be purchased at the Ranger Station at the entrance of the park. As someone who doesn't like doing "touristy" things or paid tours, this was well worth it.

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Hike the Cliff Palace Loop Trail

Tickets for this tour are $4 per person and are available at the visitor center near the entrance of the park. This tour is best taken from April to November. This hike features The milky way is often visible from the top of Mesa Verde at night. This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbing five, 8-10ft ladders, on a 100ft vertical climb. Total walking distance is 1/4-mile round-trip.

Explore Mesa Top Loop

The 6-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, open 8 am to sunset, stops at 12 sites including surface ruins and cliff dwelling overlooks. The most famous feature of the park, Cliff Palace, is visible from the Sun Point and Sun Temple overlooks. Sunrise photography isn't possible on the loop due to operating hours, but stunning sunsets can be captured from the cliff trails before the road closes.

Hike the Petroglyph Point Trail

Hike the Spruce Canyon Trail

The Spruce Canyon trail is very well taken care of. The trail begin with a descent into Spruce Tree Canyon and then follows a stream for 3/4 of a mile before climbing a side canyon back up to the ridge. The trailhead is located on the Chapin Mesa within Mesa Verde National Park. The trail is open for use year round.

Hike to Long House and Step House at Mesa Verde National Park

This is a great opportunity to see two historic cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park within a relatively short period of time. Schedule your day around getting tickets to Long House, then taking a bit of a side trek to the Step House when you have the time. The tour begins at the Weatherhill Mesa information kiosk, and is a two hour ranger-guided excursion. You will learn all about the h...

Hike Nordenskiold Site No. 16 Trail

This two mile round-trip trail leaves from the information kiosk near Long House and Step House, and leads through and area severely burned by the 2000 Pony Fire. There's no shade on this trail, so if you are doing it during the hotter months, be sure to bring a lot of water and sun protection. The trail is very straightforward out and back, well marked and easy to follow. From the information...

Explore Balcony House

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Explore Balcony House Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

Hike the Cliff Palace Loop Trail

Explore Mesa Top Loop

Hike the Petroglyph Point Trail

Hike the Spruce Canyon Trail

Hike to Long House and Step House at Mesa Verde National Park

Hike Nordenskiold Site No. 16 Trail

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