Private Sage Canyon Cliff House with Stunning Views near Mesa Verde

Stay on the flank of Sleeping Ute Mountain in historic McElmo Canyon just 40 minutes from Mesa Verde and 20 minutes from the town of Cortez. Featured in Better Homes 2012, the Cliff House is built right into the red rock cliff wall of a private canyon alcove with comfortable amenities, internet, nearby petroglyphs and sweeping views down canyon. A perfect place to base yourself for your next creative endeavor or for rejuvenating and exploring in the wilds of the four corners.

In addition to being built into sandstone rock, the Cliff House is landscaped with native species that bloom all summer. Around the corner from the house, in another private rock alcove, is a little lawn. Enjoy comfortable porch seating with a stunning view.

We purposefully do not provide a TV and hope our space is a nature-inspired respite. That said, we also know you might want to get away and retreat to the Cliff House in order to do some work in-between exploring the Southwest. We have fast, broadband wireless internet with Eero WiFi. Stream music to our Apple HomePod with your iPhone or AirPlay-enabled device. We have a network extender for strong Verizon LTE service.

You will have access to our entire cabin home, carport, and a private yard inside a beautiful rock alcove on our property. There is also a tipi on the property that you are welcome to visit at no additional charge, if no one else is using it—coordinate with us and we can let you know if it’s available. The tipi rock alcove and lawn are a shared space with us and sometimes our neighbors walk through, but in general it is very private.

Head just 10 minutes down canyon to Sand Canyon—public access to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument—for hiking and mountain biking trails. Further down Road G is Hovenweep National Monument where you can view Pueblo ruins precariously built on top of boulders and canyon rims. At the end of the day, stop by our neighbor Sutcliffe Vineyards for year-round local wine tasting.

Nearby - Telluride (1.5), Cedar Mesa and Monument Valley (1.5), the Four Corners Monument (30), Durango (1), Shiprock (30), Mesa Verde (40), Cortez (20), Hovenweep (45).

Laura and Grant, the stewards of this property, are writers, painters, designers and nature-enthusiasts. We are endlessly inspired by the beauty and the unique history of this place and want nothing more than to share it with like-minded creatives.

***Are your dates already booked?***
We know the availability of the Cliff House is quite limited right now. If you message us and let us know when you are looking to book we will do our best to get back to you pending a cancellation. However, we do not maintain an official waitlist—keep checking the calendar, it’s always up-to-date.

And if you are looking to stay in the Four Corners area and are flexible about staying somewhere else, we have just added a new listing: our historic (130 year-old!) farmhouse in downtown Mancos, Colorado. Unlike the Cliff House, it has room for up to four people, can accommodate families with younger children, and starts at a lower price point. We’d love to have you stay there!