Balcony House

Balcony House Review

The stonework of this 40-room cliff dwelling, which housed about 40 or 50 people, is impressive, but you're likely to be even more awed by the skill it must have taken to reach this place. Perched in a sandstone cove 600 feet above the floor of Soda Canyon, Balcony House seems almost suspended in space. Even with the aid of modern passageways and a partially paved trail, today's visitors must climb two wooden ladders (the first one 32 feet high) to enter. Surrounding the house is a courtyard with a parapet wall and the intact balcony for which the house is named. A favorite with kids, the dwelling is accessible only on a ranger-led tour. Purchase your ticket at the Far View Visitor Center, Morefield Ranger Station, or the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum (mid-October through early November only). You can also get tickets at the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez.