While the cliff dwellings are the most spectacular and famous attractions here, they represent fewer than 600 of the more than 4,000 archaeological sites in the area.
The alcoves which serve as the “foundations” of the dwellings occur naturally throughout the region. Sandstone is extremely porous and as the water which it has absorbed freezes and thaws, chunks of the rock break away from the cliff faces, creating the alcoves. Here’s a very small scale version of an alcove we discovered en route to the Spruce Tree House.
The alcoves which serve as the “foundations” of the dwellings occur naturally throughout the region. Sandstone is extremely porous and as the water which it has absorbed freezes and thaws, chunks of the rock break away from the cliff faces, creating the alcoves. Here’s a very small scale version of an alcove we discovered en route to the Spruce Tree House.
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