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Plan a Road Trip > Explore America > National Parks > Mesa Verde National Park |
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Cortez, CO 81330
Phone: 970-529-4465 or 970-529-4461
Fax: 970-529-4498
Open All Year
Overview.0 For hundreds of years, the vast expanses of Mesa Verde supported Ancestral Puebloan agriculture, and eventually protected overhangs beneath the mesa tops sheltered their architecturally sophisticated dwellings. Located in the high plateau country of southwest Colorado, this area (Mesa Verde means "Green Table") received enough rainfall to allow the once-nomadic people to become farmers. After living in pit houses (circa A.D. 750), they developed a masonry of sandstone blocks held in place by mud mortar and built pueblos on the mesa tops. Between 1150 and 1300, their architecture reached its peak. Population expanded, and they built elaborate structures in the shelter of overhanging cliffs.
The Ancestral Puebloan migrated from their cliff dwellings about 100 years after building them. By the time two cowboys stumbled across what we know as the "Cliff Palace" in the late 19th century, the original inhabitants had been gone for over 500 years. In 1906 the area was declared a national park, the first to be so designated for the preservation of human cultural remains. Also a World Heritage Site as of 1978, the park today offers scenic drives, hiking, and unforgettable archaeological tours. In 2006, it celebrates its 100th anniversary as a national park.
What to see and do. 0 You'll find the Far View Visitor Center 15 miles into the park. On your way there, be sure to stop by the several overlooks which offer spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Park Point is perhaps the best, with an elevation of 8,571 feet and a staffed fire tower. At Morefield Village, also along your way, extensive camping facilities include over 400 sites, laundry, gas station, and coin-operated showers. If you'd like a close-up view of the rugged scenery, hike the Knife Edge Trail or Prater Ridge Trail. Keep your eyes open for typical mesa residents: foxes, mule deer, tassel-eared squirrels, or hawks, to name only some. Once you reach the visitor center, which is open spring - fall from 8 AM until 5 PM, look through the exhibits acquainting you with ancestral Puebloan artifacts and the area's geography. If you'd like to tour Long House, Cliff Palace or Balcony House, arrange for a tour here. Rangers lead one-hour tours of these two sites, and a private concessionaire offers half- and full-day tours of more extensive areas that include the two highlights.
Your next stop should be the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum. Open from 8 AM until 6:30 PM summers (until 5 PM winters), the museum boasts a great collection of American Indian pottery, among its other exhibits of Native American culture. Check out the elaborate dioramas of life on the mesa as it may have looked when the Ancestral Puebloans lived here. Some highlights of the Chapin Mesa area include the Spruce Tree House, Mesa Top Loop Road, and Cliff Palace. The third largest of the park's cliff dwellings sites, Spruce Tree House is comprised of 140 rooms and eight kivas tucked into a large cave. With assistance, mobility-impaired visitors can navigate this site. The Mesa Top Loop Road will take you on a self-guided tour of the area. At several overlooks, you'll be able to gaze across the canyon at sandstone dwellings huddled beneath the cliffs. Once home to about 150 people, Cliff Palace fires your imagination. It features 150 rooms grouped around 21 kivas.
During the summer season, consider touring the Wetherill Mesa. Opened in 1972, this concentration of sites lies at the end of a long, twisty, bumpy road only open from 8 AM until 4:30 PM. Once you arrive, a train takes you first to Long House, the second largest cliff dwelling in the park, then to Mesa Top sites and canyon overlooks. Wintertime facilities are limited, but visitors still enjoy the outdoors, especially cross-country skiing along snow-covered roads. In any season, wear sunscreen and drink plenty of water; dehydration and sunburn set in much faster up here.
When not touring cliff dwellings, participate in ranger programs or hike one of the five trails, Petroglyph Point and Spruce Canyon trails offer a moderately strenuous hike through rugged country. You must register with rangers to step out onto the trails. Because archaeological sites are fragile, hiking is allowed only on designated trails. Biking is allowed on all park roads, but off-road biking is prohibited. Visitors should know that touring cliff dwellings can be fairly rigorous. Ladder climbs, narrow passageways, and steep, uneven stairs can make the going tough. Back at the campsite, the Far View area, or the Museum, you'll find most amenities such as food, lodging, gasoline, and gift shops.
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Archeological Sites |
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Bird Watching |
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Cross-country Skiing |
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Food Service |
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Geological Sites |
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Gift Shop |
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Guided Tours |
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Hiking/Nature Trails |
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Museum/Exhibits |
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Picnic Sites |
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Programs/Talks |
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Self-guided Tours |
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Visitor Center |
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Wildflower Viewing |
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Wildlife Viewing |
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Please call ahead to confirm details. We do our best to give you current information, but facts can change. Please let us know if you find something's changed.
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