Mesa Verde National Park.

Southwestern Colorado.

Established in 1906

    “Most notable and best preserved prehistoric cliff dwelling in the United States, if not in the world.”     National Park Service report, 1920

The excavation and cleanup of the Spruce Tree House ruins was completed in 1908, a year before the larger Cliff Palace ruins opened for tours.

The mile-long Knife Edge Road hiking trail begins at the Morefield Village Campground and ends, as pointed out above, below the level of the old road.

   “Better automobile roads into this section are badly needed, and the Park-to-Park Highway, now under consideration, should fill this need and open up this section to general travel. Each year more camping parties come to the park.” National Park Service report, 1920

Gray Wolf

The Knife Edge Road, built as a pack trail for homesteaders, was improved for wagons in 1911, then improved again for automobiles in 1923. It was the road to the cliff dwelling until the Morefield Canyon Tunnel was completed in 1957. The rock formation above the road was originally called “Crinkley Edge.”