Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. Mesa Verde is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States and Cliff Palace is the largest complex of dwellings within the park. Construction and refurbishing of Cliff Palace was continuous from around 1190 through 1260, and it was abandoned by 1300. The large square tower to the right was in ruins by the 1800s. The National Park Service carefully restored it to its approximate height and stature, using slightly different-colored materials to show it was a restoration. Mesa Verde is located in Montezuma County, Colorado.