Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Mesa Verde, which in Spanish means “green table,” offers visitors the opportunity to view multi-story dwellings in cliff niches that rise 2,000 feet above the Montezuma Valley. The dwellings are remarkably preserved, allowing archaeologists to locate more than 4,800 archaeological sites (including 600 cliff dwellings) dating from approximately AD 550 to 1300.

Story

Beginning around AD 750, the ancient Puebloans grouped their tabletop dwellings into villages, many of which were moved to the recesses of the cliffs. For more than 700 years, they and their descendants lived here, building elaborate stone communities in protected niches in the canyon walls. In late 1200 AD, people left their homes and moved, but because the communities were so protected, they were preserved over time. Mesa Verde National Park now preserves a striking reminder of this ancient culture.

Mesa Verde was established by Congress as a national park on June 29, 1906 and was designated a World Heritage Site on September 6, 1978.

When to visit

The park is open all year round and offers a great experience in any season. For winter enthusiasts, check out the park for cross-country skiing. Others may enjoy visiting from April to September when the wildflowers are in bloom.

Get there

The closest airports are in Cortez, CO, Durango, CP and Farmington, NM. Once there, you will need a car to get around the park.

For those who drive to the park, Mesa Verde is in southwestern Colorado. It’s about an hour from Cortez, CO – just head east on Highway 160 and follow the signs to the park bypass. The park is also about 1.5 hours from Durango, CO if you head west on Highway 160.

You can take a bus to Durango, CO, but you will need to rent a car to get from the bus terminal to the park.

Fees / Permits

All visitors must pay an entrance fee to enter the park. If you enter by car, you will have to pay $ 10, which is valid for seven days and includes passengers in the vehicle. The rate is for visitors entering the park at any time during the following dates: January 1 – May 28 or September 6 – December 31. For those entering the park from May 29 to September 5, the fee is $ 15.

For visitors entering by bicycle, motorcycle, or on foot, the entrance fee is $ 5. It is also valid for seven days and applies to the following dates: January 1 – May 28 or September 6 – December 31 . For those entering the park from May 29 to September 5, the fee is 8. If you think you will visit the park multiple times during the year, you may consider purchasing the Mesa Verde Annual Pass for $ 30. This will waive the fee for entry for a full year.

Another good buy is the America the Beautiful Pass – National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands. This pass does not apply the entrance fee to all national parks and federal recreation sites that charge a standard entrance / amenity.

Things to do

There is a lot to do inside the park, depending on how long you have to visit. Activities include ranger-led activities, archeological hikes, tours, evening campfire programs, self-guided tours, hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Main attractions

Chapin Mesa Museum – Visitors can collect guide brochures, explore dioramas, view Indian artifacts and crafts. Here you will also find a wonderful collection of Mesa Verde ceramics.

Petroglyph Point Trail – This self-guided nature hike branches off the Spruce Tree House Trail and displays one of the largest petroglyphs in the park – a 12-foot-wide panel.

Balcony House: This 40-room home is the highlight of the park. Rangers can guide visitors up a 32-foot ladder to a ledge site with a breathtaking panoramic view.

Long House Trail – Park rangers can guide visitors up a 0.75-mile trail to the park’s second-largest cliff dwelling – 150 rooms.

Badger House Community: The houses and towns of this community show the difference between life on the tabletop and in the hollows of the canyons.

accommodation

There is one campground inside the park: Morefield, with a 14-day limit. The camp is open from mid-April to mid-October and runs on a first-come, first-served basis. Rates start at $ 23 per night for a site with a maximum of two tents. Group sites are also available for $ 6 per night, per adult or child ($ 60 minimum).

Inside the park, visitors may want to stay at the Far View Lodge for a beautiful and relaxing stay. The lodge sits atop Mesa Verde and offers panoramic views of three states. The hostel is open from April 22 to October 21 and reservations can be made online or by calling 800-449-2288.

Pets

Activities with pets are very limited in Mesa Verde National Park. Pets are not allowed on trails, archaeological sites, or buildings. You can walk your pets on paved roads, in parking lots, and in campgrounds. Pets must be on a leash at all times when outside of a vehicle and it is forbidden to leave them unattended or tied to any object within the park.

Visitors with service animals are encouraged to contact the park prior to visiting. There are many opportunities and places within the park for people with service animals to visit, but the opportunities change seasonally.

There are many places to house your pet during your visit to the park. Visit the Cortez Adobe Animal Hospital at 970-565-4458. You can also contact the Mancos, Durango, Dolores and Cortez tourist offices.

Contact information

By mail:
Mesa Verde National Park
PO Box 8
Mesa Verde, Colorado 81330

Phone: 970-529-4465.

Email