Mesa Top Loop Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
The overlook edges are unfenced in several spots with sheer drops into the canyon — keep a close grip on small children and stay behind any barriers that are present.
The mesa sits above 7,000 feet, and summer afternoon thunderstorms roll in fast with lightning that has nowhere to go on the exposed mesa top. If you see clouds building, head for your car.
Trail Details
Pro Tips
Start early in the morning or late afternoon — the cliff dwellings are east-facing, so morning light illuminates them beautifully for photos, and late afternoon gives you golden hour on the mesa top with far fewer tour buses in the lots.
Pair this loop with a ticketed ranger-led tour of Cliff Palace or Balcony House to get both the bird's-eye and ground-level perspectives in the same day — book those tickets on recreation.gov well in advance, especially June through September.
Bring binoculars. The overlooks put you across the canyon from the dwellings, and with even basic optics you can pick out individual rooms, doorways, and wall paintings that are invisible to the naked eye.