(mā´se vûrd´, vûr´dē) , 52,122 acres (21,109 hectares), SW Colorado; est. 1906. It includes the most notable and best-preserved cliff dwellings (see cliff dwellers ) and relics in the United States, covering four archaeological periods. There are museums and a library. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is to the west. See National Parks and Monuments (table).
Bibliography: See D. A. Smith, Mesa Verde National Park (1988).
