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Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
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Colorado
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Inside Mesa Verde National Park
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Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
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Soda Canyon Overlook Trail and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am to sunset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall. This easy, out-and-back trail meanders through the mesa top pinyon-juniper forest to three overlooks at the edge of Soda Canyon. Hikers are rewarded with views of Balcony House and several other cliff dwellings across the canyon. The canyon was named for the white, calcium carbonate deposits visible below the rim. These are the evaporative remains of seeps springs once used by the Ancestral Pueblo people. Please respect these places by leaving archeological sites, artifacts, plants, and animals undisturbed for all those who follow you. Trail Description The 1.2-mile (2 km) roundtrip trail is unpaved. Look for centuries-old mature pinyon pine and Utah juniper trees, and forest dwellers like mule deer, desert cottontail, black-tailed jackrabbit, and wild turkey. At the overlook, watch for birds like the turkey vulture, white-throated swift, American kestrel, violet-green swallow, and common raven. This is the only view of Balcony House without taking a ranger-guided tour. Be Prepared Easy to Moderate Although considered an easy trail, parts of the trail are exposed and will be hot in the summer. For Your Safety Dehydration and altitude sickness are common problems at Mesa Verde. Drink water and rest often. Avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day. While hiking, remain on the trail and avoid walking along unstable cliff edges. Off-trail walking easily destroys the delicate cryptobiotic soil crusts that take decades to form and are essential to soil stability and plant growth in the deserts of the Southwest. Even the smallest impacts have big effects! Pets and bicycles are not allowed on the trail. Please respect wildlife by observing them from a distance. Trails are day-use only. Trail Data 1.2 miles (2 km) roundtrip 67 ft (20 m) elevation change Allow about 40 minutes to complete
Cliff Canyon Overlook
~1 min drive
<em>Cliff Canyon Overlook and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am to sunset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall.</em><br /> <br /> The Cliff Canyon Overlook opens up to a stunning view of Cliff Canyon. In the 1200s, Cliff Canyon was a thriv…
Balcony House Parking Area
~1 min drive
<em>The Balcony House Parking Area and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am to sunset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall.</em><br /> <br /> Soda Canyon is visible from the Balcony House Parking Area, but surprisingly, Balcony House is not.…
House of Many Windows Overlook
~1 min drive
<em>House of Many Windows Overlook and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am to s</em><em>unset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall.</em><br /> <br /> House of Many Windows is a small cliff dwelling perched on a ten-foot-wide ledge in Cliff C…
Hemenway House Overlook
~2 min drive
<em>Hemenway House Overlook and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am</em> <em>to s</em><em>unset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall.</em><br /> <br /> Perched on a remote cliff in Soda Canyon, Hemenway House looks to fall off the small ledg…
Square Tower House
~2 min drive
Here, you see one of their most spectacular architectural achievements, built six centuries later.<br /> <br /> This cliff dwelling includes the tallest standing architecture in Mesa Verde, a four-story, 27-foot (8 m) tall structure that was part of an even larger building com…
Spruce Canyon Trail
~2 min drive
<p>The Spruce Canyon Trail offers an opportunity to explore the canyon bottoms of Mesa Verde and discover the plants and wildlife that live in this habitat. Parts of this canyon trail offers the shade of Douglas Fir trees and the coolness and humidity of a natural wetland area…
Farming Terrace Trail
~4 min drive
<p>This short, moderate trail winds along a series of farming terraces built by the Ancestral Pueblo people. Constructing check dams in a natural drainage to create farming terraces was a useful dryland farming technique. Soil and moisture collected behind the check dams durin…
Prater Ridge Trail
~16 min drive
<p>The trail traverses Prater Ridge which divides Prater and Morefield Canyons. The South Loop offers views into Prater Canyon, named for an early pioneer family. The North Loop ascends for views into Montezuma Valley and the beautiful San Juan Mountains.</p> <h4>Trail Descrip…
Knife Edge Trail
~17 min drive
<p>Named after the historic Knife Edge Road which was known for it's scenic value, this trail follows the old roadway and leads to a viewpoint that affords excellent views across Montezuma Valley.</p> <p>A traveler in 1892 once described a trail on this ridge as the Crinkly Ed…
Point Lookout Trail
~17 min drive
<p>The Point Lookout Trail climbs up the iconic Point Lookout, the geological formation that towers above the park entrance. The trail offers views of the San Juan and La Plata Mountains, as well as Mancos and Montezuma Valleys.</p> <h4>Trail Description</h4> <p>The 2.2-mile (…
