Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park

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Balcony House at Mesa Verde National Park sits in the heart of the Four Corners Region, where the American Southwest unfolds. More than 800 years ago, this site was a thriving home to the ancestral Puebloan people, who crafted impressive multi-storey structures within the naturally formed alcoves of sandstone cliffs. Looking out across the valley today, Balcony House may appear isolated, but in the 12th century it was part of a vibrant community that bustled with life. As one of over 600 cliff dwellings still standing, Balcony House showcases the resourcefulness and skill of its creators. The people who built this place used locally sourced materials, including Juniper wood and Pinyon pine for beams, sandstone carved into blocks, and mortar made from clay shaped by their own hands. In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt signed a bill to safeguard this treasure, establishing Mesa Verde as a National Park. Due to its fragile nature, access to Balcony House is now restricted. For those interested in exploring the site in greater detail, LiDAR and photogrammetric data are available at openheritage3D.org.