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Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
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Colorado
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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 Palace View
~1 min drive
<p>Cliff Palace is North America’s largest cliff dwelling, with 150 rooms and 21 kivas. Cliff Palace was an important community center. It may have been an administrative site, an important place of business and cultural exchange, or simply a large village. It stands now as a…
Sun Temple
~1 min drive
<p>Walk around the walls of this large structure and notice how it differs from others you have seen. Sun Temple was likely a communal building that played an important role in the Cliff Palace community. While this D-shaped structure resembles other Pueblo sites such as Puebl…
Millset (Snow)
~35 min drive
6.7 mi · Hard
Dolph Kuss
~35 min drive
3.1 mi · Moderate
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.…
Mcphee Overlook
~37 min drive
17 mi · Hard
Dolph Kuss Loop (Snow)
~36 min drive
3.1 mi · Moderate
Far View Community Sites
~9 min drive
<p>The Far View area was once an extensive farming community and one of the most densely populated regions of the Mesa Verde. This mesa top community includes Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Far View Reservoir (currently dry), Megalithic House, and Far View…
Sun Point View
~1 min drive
The canyon junction before you was once a bustling community. Over 30 cliff dwellings occupy these canyon alcoves and ledges. How many can you spot?<br /> <br /> Look around you. Imagine living here 800 years ago, seeing your neighbors’ doors glowing with firelight and hearing…
