This is another Indian site deep in a canyon. The park is huge but the trail to the cliff dwellings is only about 2 miles. The CCC buildings are beautiful with the “sort of” appearance of a pueblo. It once housed not only the CCC but also VC, restaurant, lodge, gift shop and more. Still much of it is in use but sadly not the lodge. The trail to the dwellings is along a river then up steps to the remains of several dwellings. You can enter quite a few of the rooms. Then you get to a place called Long House. It had two or three stores of rooms for about a quarter mile. Many turn around here yet if you continue another 3/4 or a mile further you reach another dwelling, Alcove House. This is unique. The site is on the side of a cliff, like the others but 140 feet above the canyon floor. You reach the site by scaling four ladders and a small set of carved stairs. The three main ladders are each about 35 feet - and the third one is on the face of the rock. It was a time to be cautious about your footing! Still very cool to do. Once inside the space, there were three areas, one large and two small store rooms and a kiva on the edge.
The approach to some of the dwellings. These were natural “holes” that were enlarged by the builders unlike Mesa Verde where the homes were build all of stone under cliff overhangs.
A families room. You can enter here the floor is stabilized. Note the fire blackened wall and roof
Some of the rock stairs the CCC carved. Below you see the ruins of a valley floor pueblo.
Part of a rare remnant of a painted wall. Most of these dwellings were painted but little of that remiains today.
Climbing up ladder two - photo credit TLT Associate Photographer Cindy
Looking toward ladder three of four - photo credit TLT Associate Photographer Cindy
Finally our custom is to celebrate every 25 parks with some special ice cream. That was in short supply but the mint custard served as a good backup. We also celebrated a few of these milestones with Rusty and Janet so I sort of included them with the dominoe tiles 3 5 0 that they gave to me on this trip.