Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs Colorado

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings are ancestral Puebloan ruins that date back 800 to 1,000 years old.

The 40 room site was originally located near McElmo Canyon, which is in the southwest corner of Colorado near Mesa Verde and Dolores.

The process of relocating these cliff dwellings began in 1904 and was completed in 1907 when the preserve was opened to the public.

They wanted to preserve and protect the Ancestral Puebloan architecture from looters and relic pot-hunters.

The three story pueblo structure demonstrates the architecture of the Taos Pueblo Indians of New Mexico.

The Pueblo Indians are de...