The largest cliff dwelling at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is Cliff Palace.
Built by Ancestral Puebloans, Cliff Palace occupies a large sandstone alcove on Chapin Mesa in southwestern Colorado. The settlement contains about 150 rooms and 23 kivas, ceremonial spaces that played an important role in Pueblo community and religious life. Archaeologists estimate that roughly 125 people lived there, although it was connected to a wider settlement network.
Most of Cliff Palace was constructed between about 1200 and 1300, using sandstone blocks, wooden beams, and mortar. Its south- and southwest-facing position provided greater winter sunlight, while the overhanging cliff offered shelter and protection. The site was abandoned by around 1300, during a period of major social and environmental change in the region.
Cliff Palace was rediscovered in December 1888 by Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason while they were searching for stray cattle. It is often confused with Spruce Tree House or Long House, both important Mesa Verde dwellings, but Cliff Palace is the park’s largest. Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to protect these archaeological treasures.