Located in Montezuma County, Colorado, Cliff Palace Overlook is a scenic viewpoint. It lies in or next to Mesa Verde National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Cortez, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Cliff Palace Overlook lies SSE of town).
From the National Park Service
Cliff Palace Overlook and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am to sunset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall.
With at least 150 rooms and 21 kivas, Cliff Palace is an exceptionally large cliff dwelling. It was surrounded by a vibrant, active community. Because of the large kiva to room ratio, some scholars suggest Cliff Palace was an important gathering place, perhaps an administrative center with ceremonial use for many Ancestral Pueblo villages. The people who lived in the area were familiar with dozens of footpaths that led from village to village and to storage structures, farming areas, water sources, and public buildings, such as Cliff Palace.
Recent studies reveal that Cliff Palace contained 150 rooms and 21 kivas and had a population of approximately 100 people. Out of the nearly 600 cliff dwellings concentrated within the boundaries of the park, 75% contain only 1-5 rooms each, and many are single room storage units.
Cliff Palace can also be seen from the Sun Point View and Sun Temple stops along the Mesa Top Loop Road , which is open all year.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cliff Palace Overlook the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 59° ENE | 8:38 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 119° ESE | 5:01 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 36m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 37m |
Local time (America/Denver), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Cliff Palace Overlook, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:18 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.7 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:30 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:34 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:34 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.7 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.3 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 63 | 62 | 77 | 81 | 94 | 99 | 100 | 97 | 94 | 83 | 73 | 57 |
| Low °F | -11 | -3 | 1 | 17 | 22 | 31 | 45 | 45 | 29 | 11 | 3 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.6 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this scenic viewpoint
- Use a telephoto (70–200 mm) to isolate layered ridges and light rays instead of shooting only wide.
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cliff Palace Overlook, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Fire LookoutScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Dark Sky PlaceCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cliff Palace Overlook?
What time is golden hour at Cliff Palace Overlook?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cliff Palace Overlook?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cliff Palace Overlook?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cliff Palace Overlook?
How far is Cliff Palace Overlook from Cortez?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.