If you are a Colorado native, you are guaranteed to have visited the fascinating Mesa Verde National Park at least once, but did you know that this historic area was once lost for several hundred years? Want to find out how it was re-discovered in the late 19th century? Read on as we dissect how the discovery of this hidden place in Colorado changed history forever:

Located in Montezuma County is the intriguing Mesa Verde National Park; an incredible 52,485 acres that are home to both countless Ancestral Puebloan dwellings and ancient artifacts.
Flickr/J. Stephen Conn
Originally built by the Ancestral Puebloans some 800+ years ago, the area was home to this ancient tribe and was designed with protection from weather, enemy groups, and wildlife in mind.
Wikimedia Commons
Due to a devastating drought, overpopulation, and lack of resources, the once thriving community was abandoned sometime in the 13th century, leaving behind tools, homemade goods, and the homes that they worked so hard to create.
Flickr/Jirka Matousek

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Through the years, Mesa Verde is said to have been visited and/or seen by a number of different groups, including Mexican-Spanish missionaries and explorers (c. 1776), the Ute tribe, and even visiting trappers and prospectors.
Flickr/Ron Cogswell
Despite these glimpses of the area, Mesa Verde was not "officially" re-discovered until 1888, when the Wetherill brothers were out looking for their lost cattle and accidentally stumbled upon this jaw-dropping site.
History Colorado Facebook
In 1906, Mesa Verde National Park was created by President Theodore Roosevelt and has since welcomed 750,000+ visitors.
Wikimedia Commons
In addition to being a National Park, Mesa Verde was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site in 1978.
Mesa Verde National Park is open year round, but to see a complete list of their seasonal hours, please visit the National Park Service's website.
Flickr/Jayjay P

Discover even more archaeological treasures by clicking These 5 Trails In Colorado Will Lead You To Extraordinary Ancient Ruins.

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