Square Tower House — Attraction in Four Corners States

It’s UNESCO International Day for Monuments and Sites and we are visiting the impressive Square Tower House in Mesa Verde National Park. Square Tower House is one of many cliff dwellings constructed by the Ancestral Puebloans in what is now the American Southwest. At 27 feet, it's the tallest structure in the park. Square Tower House is also notable for its kiva, a round, sunken room used for ceremonies. Unlike most of the ancient kivas found in the region, the kiva at Square Tower House has an intact original clay roof supported by wooden beams.

Ancestral Puebloans lived in today’s Four Corners region, where the borders of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet at a single point. It's unclear when exactly this culture emerged, but the current consensus is that the Ancestral Puebloans appeared in this area a little more than 3,000 years ago. They're believed to have built the series of cliff dwellings for defensive reasons as various factions competed for scarce resources when the region suffered from a prolonged drought. It's thought that the changing climate eventually became so severe that it likely drove them from the cliff dwellings sometime around 1300 CE, just a century or so after construction began. Today, many of the cliff dwellings have been restored and visitors can view the homes and kivas of...

We took our niece, nephew and family friend on a 2 week road trip tour from California to Mesa Verde and back. Our backcountry tour of Square Tower in Mesa Verde with Ranger Jeff Brown was the highlight of our trip. Jeff is knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the southwest native people. He skillfully connected us to the place and experiences of the people who once inhabited Mesa Verde. It was a hot day, but Jeff made the tour so powerful that we barely noticed any discomfort. The ruins are incredible portals to the ancient history of the land we...

If you have time and not afraid of heights or ladders, this is potentially one of the most impressive sites and tours. Our Tour guide was outstanding providing both insight to the Stone Tower house and more recent history. If you take the tour, you will climb down stone inserts into the area, and walk a similar path to the original occupants. Tour groups are small and time of day is important. If possible take the morning tour just because of sun placement. (Takes...