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Balcony House is an Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
Guided Tours
It’s only possible to visit Balcony House on a ranger guided tour. The hour-long tour is strenuous and requires visitors to climb on ladders, go through a tunnel, and walk on steep steps. Tickets cost US$8 (as of September 2023) and must be purchased online up to 14 days in advance. They sell out quickly and are only available mid May through Mid October.
Reaching the Site
Balcony House is the most adventurous of the cliff dwellings to visit at Mesa Verde. The tour begins with a 100 foot staircase descending into the canyon, then climbing a 32 foot ladder to reach the site.
At Balcony House
At the site, you’ll learn that it has about 40 rooms, which is considered a medium-sized cliff dwelling. Only 10 of the 600 cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde are bigger. The ranger stops and lectures at a few points, explaining important features of Balcony House and its history.
It’s interesting to point out that the cliff dwelling was rediscovered in 1884 by prospectors looking for coal. Archaeologist and park superintendent Jesse Nusbaum excavated the site in 1910.
Some of the features we noticed were faded paint on some of the walls, a blackened ceiling from fires set by the residents, and original wood used to stabilize the structure.
Back to the Top
Once we finished visiting the site, we had to squeeze 12 feet through a narrow 18 inch wide tunnel. A few in the group were claustrophobic and weren’t happy about it!
After that, it was a 60 foot climb up more ladders and steep stone steps, which got those with a fear of heights a little nervous. The views were incredible, though.
Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
If you’re interested in seeing the cliff dwelling from a viewpoint, you can hike the easy 1.2 mile round-trip Soda Canyon Overlook Trail. The trailhead is located just up the road from the Balcony House parking lot. We decided not to do it and continued to Spruce Tree House instead.
