Hiking Project Logo

gem icon Balcony House [Suggest Edits]

10 votes
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

Description

Excavated in 1910 by national park service archaeologist Jesse Nusbaum, the Balcony House site contains a 40-room cliff dwelling once populated by the Ancestral Puebloans around A.D. 1200. Today, the Balcony House provides visitors with a glimpse into the architecture, religion, and daily life of a once-vibrant people.

Short Hike: Visitors can only access the site through a ranger-led tour. Tickets for the tour are required and can be purchased at several locations around the park. For more information, visit the park's website.

Tours meet at the Balcony House Trail Parking Area, and take about an hour. Be prepared for the most adventurous Mesa Verde trail experience you will have, as you crawl through an 18-inch wide tunnel, numerous passageways, and up a 32-foot ladder to reach the archaeological site.

Gem Type: Prehistoric Site

Shared by:
Hunter R

0 Comments

You & This Gem

Your Rating:      Clear Rating
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Jun 19, 2021
Ellen Biggerstaff
Aug 3, 2020
Cary Greenfield
Never got to see, have to do ranger led hike to see it
Jun 14, 2020
Joan Sheets
Jan 26, 2020
Jean-Claude Linossi
Sep 26, 2019
Lanny N Donna Holbrook
Aug 24, 2019
Tom Herr
Ranger led tour to unique east facing ruin. Ladders to climb in and out. Leave ruin through a tunnel.
Aug 19, 2019
Stephanie Palmer
Family vacation
Aug 1, 2019
BRIAN LARSON

Nearby Gems

gem Favorite Cliff Palace.

Cliff Palace

(15) Towaoc, CO
gem Favorite Long House, from the end of the trail.

Long House

(5) Towaoc, CO
gem Favorite Petroglyphs on the Mesa Verde Petroglyph Point Trail.

Petroglyph Panel at Petroglyph Point

(11) Towaoc, CO
gem Favorite Coyote Village.

Far View Sites

(12) Cortez, CO
gem Favorite Ancient ruins.

Spruce Tree House

(8) Towaoc, CO

Nearby Trails

2.2 mi 3.6 km Petroglyph Point Trail
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
38 
2.2 mi 3.6 km Long House Tour
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
10 
0.4 mi 0.7 km Balcony House Trail
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
16 
0.3 mi 0.5 km Cliff Palace Overlook Trail
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
12 
0.3 mi 0.5 km Long House Trail
Easy/Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Easy/Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
0.6 mi 1.0 km Far View Sites Loop
Easy
Cortez, CO
Easy
Cortez, CO
Unknown
Update
0.4 mi 0.6 km Spruce Tree House Trail
Easy/Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Easy/Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
1.1 mi 1.7 km Point Lookout Trail
Intermediate
Mancos, CO
Intermediate
Mancos, CO
Unknown
Update
0.8 mi 1.3 km Step House Trail
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
0.6 mi 1.0 km Nordenskiold Trail
Easy/Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Easy/Intermediate
Towaoc, CO
Unknown
Update
Shared by Hunter R on Jun 8, 2016. All Page Views: 740. Last Month: 3.