Mesa Verde National Park

I am a secret home, tucked into the side of a big, tall cliff. I live in a sunny place called Colorado. The sun warms my stone walls all day long. From way up here, I can see green treetops and deep, deep canyons below. It feels like being held in a big, safe hug. I have been here for a very long time, keeping stories safe inside my walls. I am a special place where families once lived, and my name is Mesa Verde National Park.

Long, long ago, clever builders came to live here. They were called the Ancestral Pueblo people. Around the year 600, they started building amazing homes right inside my cliffs. They used stone and mud to make their houses strong and cozy, like a bird's nest. For many, many years, families lived here. They cooked yummy food, and children played games and laughed. Then, around the year 1300, the people packed their things and moved on to find new homes. My little stone houses became very quiet, waiting for new friends to visit.

I was quiet for a very long time. Then, one day in the year 1888, some cowboys riding their horses found my empty cliff houses. They were so surprised to see such a wonderful secret place. A kind president named Theodore Roosevelt heard about me and wanted to keep my homes safe forever. On June 29th, 1906, he made me a national park for everyone to see. Now, families and friends come to visit me. They look at my amazing cliff houses and learn about the clever people who built them. I am happy to share my stories with you.