Manitou Cliff Dwellings ~ Colorado

Visiting the ancient heritage sites of the west is an educational experience that can enlighten one’s own perspective of the world in both a spiritual and physical sense. When a visitor steps into an ancient archaeological site, the modern world can easily be left behind and a sense of clarity can be achieved by transcending back to a simpler time. Modern day societal problems become easier to identify and often the spiritual experience can act as guidance when seeking solutions.  

The ancient sacred place experience is not simply an exercise in seeking simplicity to divine complex matters, because the ancient native cultures were every bit as sophisticated as modern society. Only the values of modern and ancient cultures differ. Ancient native cultures placed high value on harmonious existence with nature and deep understanding of astronomy with tangible communication between the heavens and earth. In the modern world, a lifestyle of harmonious existence is a threat to capitalists, so this is why so much negative propaganda exists. 

It is the yearning to discover something about the mysterious past that draws so many people to the ancient heritage sites out west. People want to experience the ancient sites in person, so they can form their own opinion, which sometimes can be more accurate than what the history books dictate. The intricate harmonious design of ancient pueblos often incorporated naturally occurring events to send a message to all that follow. Ancient pueblos incorporated elements of celestial alignment, light, shadow, wind, rain and fire into the design to create effects that transcend bits of wisdom to all who take the time to notice. Specific stars that can be seen through a tiny window on a pueblo wall at night or solar equinox events aligned within the architectural framework allow the ancients to communicate with visitors from the modern world by design. Everything the ancients did was for a well thought out reason and that same reasoning power is just waiting to be discovered at the ancient native heritage sites of the west!  

Of all the ancient heritage sites in the west that I have been to, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings is by far the easiest to access. This pueblo is literally next to a parking lot on top of a hill, so small children and those who have mobility challenges can easily access this place. In fact, the ease of access is why so many elementary schools in this region schedule field trips to this site!  

On a hot summer day, visiting the Manitou Cliff Dwellings is like a sigh of relief when compared to having to pack survival gear for a long strenuous hike to an ancient site that is way out in the middle of nowhere. The planned trips to ancient sites in remote locations are best left for cooler weather seasons for obvious reasons. The Manitou Cliff Dwelling Museum is located high in the mountains, so comfortable summer temperatures can be found here. 

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings definitely is a sensory experience that will awaken the archaeologist within all that pass through. This is one of the few ancient pueblos that is a hands on learning experience, because the access to the inner rooms is not cordoned off.  Visitors can touch the walls of the inner passages as they stroll through the multiple rooms of this large pueblo building complex. The shade from the overhanging cliff keeps the pueblo cool during the heat of summer and a breeze always seems to flow through the open windows that overlook the vast green valley below.

The Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a very comfortable place to visit, but one must not assume that the ancient native people chose to build a pueblo in this ideal spot. The truth of the matter is the ancient pueblo people never lived anywhere close to Colorado Springs. In fact, the stones for the construction of the Manitou Cliff Dwellings were shipped to Colorado Springs from an archaeological site located in the Canyons Of The Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado back in the early 1900s. During this age in history, discrimination against native people by European settlers ran thick and nearly every ancient pueblo in the west was destroyed out of spite and greed. The relocation of the sacred site building materials was and still is controversial, but at least this majestic building was preserved for all to see.

Even with all the controversy, there is one good thing about the choice of the site location near Colorado Springs. The Manitou Cliff Dwellings do represent an ancient culture and every visit accomplishes spreading awareness of native heritage. All in all, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings and Museum are a good educational experience for those who are heading west to do a lengthy ancient pueblo tour. 

When heading west into the native homelands to do an ancient pueblo tour, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings Museum is a good choice for a primer course. A lot can be learned in this place, which will make it easier to put the pieces of the puzzle together when pondering over the ancient past. The ancient pueblo tour is a classic western vacation theme and the Manitou Cliff Dwellings is a very comfortable place to start!