Charlie Mason, one of the earliest visitors to Mesa Verde in the late 1800s, recorded his first impressions upon seeing Cliff Palace through a swirling snow storm, "From the rim of the canyon we had our first view of Cliff Palace...To me, this is the grandest view of all among the ancient ruins of the Southwest." Do you remember your first impression of Cliff Palace? | Mesa Verde National Park

4.3K views · 241 reactions | Watch what happens when rocks fall at Cliff Palace. This is from August, when we closed down tours to spall off loose rocks above Cliff Palace. All of these sandstone alcoves are unstable, and small pieces often fall. When bigger rocks threaten, we try to knock them loose. Sometimes, the threatening rocks are so large that we have to close down whole alcoves. That's why Spruce Tree House is closed this year. (sdb) | Mesa Verde National Park | Facebook