I’ve never camped in a National Park. So this road trip offered the opportunity to do that. The third evening into the trip I arrived at Mesa Verde National Park, in the southwest corner of Colorado.
Mesa Verde has a lot of archaeology going on, which is great.
Mesa Verde is known for its Indian ruins from about 1,000 years ago, such as The Cliff Palace. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a ticket for The Cliff Palace.
But I did have a reservation for The Balcony House, which is the only ruin which you can actually enter.
Although getting in and out of The Balcony House involves long ladders and tight squeezes.
But the story of what the archaeology has revealed about how people lived at Mesa Verde is fascinating. It used to be said that the people who lived at Mesa Verde just up and moved away and disappeared. But the Indian tribes who live nearby say they didn’t disappear. Those were our ancestors and we’re still here. It’s good that their side of the story is being recognized now.
Time to leave Balcony House.
And time to hit the trails. I chose the high road.
After hiking along the base of the cliff for about two miles, I finally came to the ancient petroglyphs.
I was intrigued by one image off to the side that looked like my 1999 Toyota Rav 4.
The trail back went along the top of the cliff, with great scenery.
And pretty flowers
And strange looking creatures. (Greater short horned lizard).
The Mesa Verde Visitors Center and Museum. Near the end of the afternoon I was sitting on a bench on the other side of the building and a hummingbird came and hovered in front of my face for about 15 seconds. I was wearing a bright yellow shirt. I think he was trying to figure out what kind of flower I was.
Day 5 was a travel day through the 4 Corners region of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. I made a brief stop at the iconic Monument Valley.
The Glen Canyon Dam was interesting too.
The next park was Zion. Just a drive through.
The scenery was pretty dramatic at Zion.
When I arrived at Bryce Canyon NP I had just enough time to set up my tent and settle in for the night. I arose early the next morning and went looking for the sunrise.
The Bryce Canyon amphitheater (a big valley) is filled with hoodos, (rock formations).
The trails through the amphitheater had lots of ups and downs.
Good hiking practice for Yosemite. That was my goal and my next stop.
RADIOSCRIBE 
That’s a wonderful experience to reflect on! Visiting Mesa Verde and learning about its deep history and culture is truly enriching. Even though you couldn’t visit The Cliff Palace, the broader story of the ancestral Puebloans and their connection to modern Native tribes is a powerful takeaway. It highlights how archaeology and oral histories together can give a more complete and respectful understanding of the past.
If you’d like, I could help you craft a journal entry, blog post, or travel reflection based on this experience!