Cortez, Colorado
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!
The Cliff House was far better than the pictures. Everything about our stay was perfect. The property was beautiful, the kitchen was so well equipped, the bed was comfy, the LIGHT in this house will just blow you away... can't wait to come and stay again.
Very pleasant experience, made especially so by the cliff wall & wood burning stove. The first day was magical, discovering in particular the views & best vantage points. Sunrise with coffee. Sunset with wine & wood burning stove.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Cliff House. What a unique place. The drive in was fun and the canyon is beautiful. We experienced climbing up above the house and seeing it from the Mesa. And got some great pictures of the canyon and the tipi. We would definitely stay there again but wish we could share it with friends.
Great stay. What a beautiful place to get away and relax.
My husband and I were looking for a peaceful getaway and we found it! Beautiful location and an amazing little house built into the rock with lots of light. Very unique and well equipped. It made us feel so connected to the surrounding beauty. Pictures just don't do it justice!
We needed a weekend getaway and that is what we got - We LOVED staying here! The place is small, but the views are gigantic! Wow did we love hanging out in the morning with a mug of coffee, fire in the wood stove, and a gorgeous sunrise! Highly recommend and the hosts were very responsive to our questions. We look forward to coming back!
This was exactly the kind of getaway we were looking for. A unique and cozy house in a beautiful landscape.
Enjoyed very much will do again hopefully beautiful scenery and house Laura and Grant were so nice and friendly ?
An amazing place to stay in a beautiful setting. We appreciated the thought and detail the went into the design of the Cliff House and the surrounding property. The dark and clear skies are great for star gazing.
We had a wonderful stay. The Cliff House was comfortable, spacious, and full of amenities. The surrounding beauty was breathtaking. We enjoyed every minute!
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Includes taxes and fees