Event

Balcony House Ranger-Led Tours (reservation required) (1 hour) 35 people per tour

Mesa Verde National Park

Fee:

General Admission $8.00 Infant (ages 2 and under) $1.00 Cancellation Fee $1.00 per ticket

Location: LAT/LONG: 37.000000, -108.000000


From the park entrance, drive 20 miles (32.2 km) to the all-way stop on Chapin Mesa. Turn left. Drive 0.4 miles (0.6 km). Turn left. Balcony House is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) ahead. The tour begins at the Balcony House shade structure. To make sure you arrive on time, allow at least 1 to 1-1/4 hour to drive to the Balcony House parking lot from the park entrance. Meet the ranger at the benches (under the shade structure). You MUST arrive 15 minutes early for a safety and logistics briefing.

Repeating Event

Days:

Every day

Dates:

August 05, 2024 to October 22, 2024

Time:

9:00 AM, 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 1:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 3:00 PM

Duration:

1 hour

Type of Event

Guided Tour

9:00 am, 9:30am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:00 pm

Description

To enter all cliff dwellings you must have a reservation on a ranger-led tour. A tour of Balcony House is one of the most adventurous in the park and not for the faint-of-heart. You will scale the face of a cliff via several tall ladders, squeeze your way through a narrow tunnel on your hands and knees, and explore some of the same passages used over 800 years ago! For those ready for the challenge, this tour offers you the chance to follow in the footsteps of the Ancestral Pueblo residents who lived there. For a virtual tour of Balcony House, go to https://go.nps.gov/BHvideo .

What to Expect

On this one-hour tour to Balcony House, you will climb a 32 ft (9.8 m) ladder, crawl through an 18 in (45 cm) wide by 27 in (68 cm) tall tunnel extending 12 ft (3.7 m) long, and climb up a 65 ft (20 m) open cliff face with 31 ft of steep uneven stone steps and two 18 ft (5.5 m) ladders to exit. Children must be capable of climbing the ladders on their own. Infants must be placed in a carrier and the adults carrying them must be able to maintain mobility and balance.

Know your physical health before joining a tour of Balcony House, especially if you have heart or respiratory problems, or other physical difficulties. Elevations range between 7,000 and 7,500 ft (2134 m and 2286 m) above sea level. You should plan for all weather possibilities because conditions can vary.


More information

Reservation or Registration: Yes

To enter all cliff dwellings you must have a reservation on a ranger-led tour. Reservations are made only on recreation.gov or by calling the toll free number 1-877-444-6777. Reservations are available 14 days in advance, beginning at 8:00 am MDT and fill up early. However, if someone cancels their reservation these tickets become available and can be purchased only at recreation.gov up to two hours before a tour. Reserving a tour is much easier if you create a recreation.gov account in advance. Go to recreation.gov and select the "Sign Up/Log In" tab in the upper right corner. You will receive digital confirmation and a digital ticket which is your reservation. You will not receive a paper ticket. Please take a screenshot of your reservation or print a paper copy before you arrive at the park and bring it with you to show the ranger before your tour. Without it, you will not be allowed on a tour. Because cell service is extremely limited, reservations cannot be accessed at tour sites. American Sign Language interpreters are available for ancestral site tours upon request. Please make your reservation through recreation.gov then contact the park with a request for an ASL interpreter at least one week in advance of your tour reservation.
Make Reservation or Register
Tags: cliff dwellings alcove ancient dwelling