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Mesa Top Loop is a road at the end of Mesa Top Ruins Road at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The loop road runs for six miles and is open 8am to sunset. It contains 12 easily-accessible sites including ruins and overlooks.
We didn’t visit everything along Mesa Top Loop because we wanted to make sure we got to our guided tour of Balcony House on time. Hopefully I’ll be able to spend a bit more time on the route on my next visit.
Pithouse
The first stop along the one-way loop is a pithouse that sits under a protective structure. There are interpretive panels surrounding the site explaining what you’re looking at.
Navajo Canyon View
Next is Navajo Canyon View, where you can get panoramic views of Navajo Canyon.
Sun Point View
We skipped past a short trail to view Square Tower House and the next few pithouses and villages to get to Sun Point View. At Sun Point View it’s possible to spot some cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace to the right.
To the left you can look down Fewkes Canyon and see Oak Tree House.
Oak Tree House Overlook
Continuing along the road is an overlook with views of Oak Tree House. Oak Tree House once consisted of 60 rooms and was built starting in the 1190s. It’s one of the largest cliff dwellings at the park.
Fire Temple Overlook
Next is another overlook with views of Fire Temple and Fewkes Canyon. Fire Temple was thought to have been used for religious purposes only.
Sun Temple
Mesa Top Loop swings around to a smaller loop at the Sun Temple. This interesting D-shaped structure seems to have been pre-designed unlike the other structures in the park. It contains several rooms and two kivas.
The Sun Temple’s function is still a mystery. It was never finished and nobody knows if it was meant to be a temple at all. The structure contains no windows, doors, or fire pits, suggesting it wasn’t meant to be used as a residence.
Also from the Sun Temple, it’s possible to see Cliff Palace and look down the canyon.
