Hemenway House Overlook

Hemenway House Overlook is a roadside viewpoint on Cliff Palace Loop Road, where you can look across Soda Canyon to the cliff dwelling. It is a short stop, not a route into the ruin: Hemenway House sits far away beneath a sandstone alcove on the opposite cliff. Stop if you want a quick look at a dwelling in its canyon setting; if you are hoping to see the masonry up close, this is not that visit. Auto parking is available, and the overlook is wheelchair accessible.

The building can be hard to pick out with the naked eye. Use binoculars or camera zoom, then use the interpretive display to match the alcove and locate the rooms. For a photo, frame the small stone rooms with the long sandstone wall and canyon below instead of expecting a close view. Cliff Palace Loop Road is seasonal, generally open from late spring through about December 1, weather permitting; check the current road schedule before you go.

Hemenway House was built in the 1200s. It has 26 rooms and one kiva and was part of the larger Balcony House community.

The overlook is named for Mary Tileston Hemenway, who funded the first scientific archaeological expedition in the Southwest. She never visited Mesa Verde, but she helped protect Ancestral Pueblo sites across the region.