This faces east at the top of a canyon in Mesa Verde National Park. The canyon contains cliff dwellings (this particular one is called Balcony House) built by Puebloan people. The far canyon rim is in view as well as the Rocky Mountains looming beyond. The dead trees in between are from fires over 10 years ago. This apparently creates the look of the landscape around 1200 AD, when many of the trees were cut down and used for construction and basic living purposes.