Balcony House
Mesa Verde National Park Tours
(This tour is not available in 2021)
A tour of Balcony House is one of the most adventurous in the park and not for the faint-of-heart. You will scale the face of a cliff via several tall ladders, squeeze your way through a narrow tunnel on your hands and knees, and explore some of the same passages used over 800 years ago! For those ready for the challenge, this tour offers you the chance to follow in the footsteps of the Ancestral Pueblo residents that lived there. For a virtual tour, go to https://go.nps.gov/BHvideo .
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If you plan on booking a second tour on the same day, we highly suggest you give yourself at least:
- 2 hours between the time you book this Balcony House tour and a Cliff Palace tour (ie: 10:00 am BH and 12:00 pm or later CP).
- 3 hours between the time you book this Balcony House tour and a Long House tour (ie: 9:00 am BH and 12:00 pm or later LH).
For more information on the minimum amount of time needed between tours, look for the booking advice link on https://go.nps.gov/mv_tourtickets.
Select a date to see a list of times
Need to Know
- What to Expect
On this one-hour tour, you will climb a 32-foot (9.8 m) ladder, crawl through and 18-inch wide (45 cm) and 12-foot (3.7 m) long tunnel, and climb up a 60-foot (20 m) open cliff face with uneven stone steps and two 17-foot (5 m) ladders to exit.
- Safety Information
Consider your physical health before joining a hike, especially if you have heart or respiratory problems, or other physical difficulties. Elevations range between 7,000 and 7,500 feet (2134 m and 2286 m) above sea level. You should plan for all weather possibilities because conditions are quite variable.
There are no height or age restrictions for this tour, but children must be capable of climbing the ladders on their own. Infants must be placed in a carrier and the adults carrying them must be able to maintain mobility and balance.
Cameras are welcome, but you must be able to carry all of your gear while keeping your hands free to climb the ladders. No tripods are allowed.
- Tour Directions
From the park entrance, drive 20 miles (32.2 km) to the all-way stop on Chapin Mesa. Turn left. Drive 0.4 miles (0.6 km). Turn left. Balcony House is 3.4 miles (5.5 km) ahead. The tour begins at the north end of the Balcony House parking lot.
To make sure you arrive on time, allow at least 1 to 1-1/4 hour to drive to the Balcony House parking lot from the park entrance. Meet the ranger at the benches (under the shade structure). We suggest arriving at least 15 minutes before the tour is scheduled to start.
- Tour Dates
●May 10 to May 22, 2020 --10:00 am to 4:00 pm; every hour
●May 23 to August 15, 2020 -- 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; every half-hour
●August 16 to September 6, 2020 -- 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; every hour
●September 7 to September 26, 2020 -- 9:30 am, 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:30 pm
- Ticket Price
Price: $8.00 per person, ages 3 and up.
- Tour Capacity
Tour is limited to 25
