Mesa Verde National Park

PLACES TO STAY »	DIRECTIONS »
MORE ACTIVITIES & INFORMATION »	WHERE IS MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK? »

Mesa Verde National Park is one of the most notable and best-preserved archeological sites in the United States, offering over 700 years of history to explore. Native Americans came to the area around the year 400 AD, and stayed in the region until around 1300. The cliff dwellings that the area is best known for represents only the last 100 years of Native American inhabitation of the area. The park was established in 1906, the first and still only cultural National Park set aside by the National Park System, opening that year with 27 visitors. Now the park averages about 600,000 visitors per year. Open year round and covering over 81 square miles between the towns of Cortez and Mancos, the park is filled with countless artifacts to explore. If possible, allow yourself several days to explore everything the park has to offer.

Many hiking trails are available for exploration. However, hiking only in developed and designated areas is allowed. The Soda Canyon trail offers an easier hike with the same amazing views as the other more difficult trails. Other trails bring you closer to the dwellings, but can be accessed only with a ranger. The Petroglyph Point Trail is an exciting trail with activities for children. From the visitors center you can get an interactive book to explore the various picture rock carvings of this trail. Many other trails are also available for exploration.

Mesa Verde offers many tours of the cliff dwellings. The Far View Visitor Center issues tickets for the Cliff Palace and Balcony House tours. For scheduling information, please visit http://www.nps.gov/meve/park_info/schedules/interpretation.htm. A uniformed Park Ranger must accompany you to enter the dwellings, but there are many other mesa top sites and viewing points you can visit on your own.

Wildlife sightings are also common. Many animals inhabit the area, including mule deer, porcupines, coyotes, black bears, gray fox, mountain lions, elk, marmots and turkeys. Bird watching is another fun activity, as innumerable species of birds are found in the park.

Be sure to visit the Far View Visitor Center to purchase tickets and get other information on tours. The Visitor Center is open from 8AM to 5PM mid-April to mid-October. At the Chapin Mesa Museum, located near park headquarters, you can pick up self-guiding tour books, as well as explore some of the cultural and artistic life of the park's early inhabitants. The museum keeps a vast collection of Southwest artifacts as well as pottery and weavings. The museum is open from 8AM to 6:30 PM mid-April to mid-October. Lecture series are also offered every summer. One summer the lecture was Native American Art of the Past and Present in the American South West.

Places to stay near Mesa Verde National Park:

A & A Mesa Verde RV Park-Campground & Mini-Golf

Abode at Willowtail Springs

AppleLodge Bed & Breakfast and Group Lodge

Aramark-Mesa Verde National Park

Dolores River RV Park & Cabins

Echo Basin Guest Ranch Resort & RV Park

Enchanted Mesa Motel

Jolly Rancher Bed & Breakfast, The

Mesa Verde RV Resort

Mesa Verde Tours

Southwest Indian River Mountain Canyon House

More Activities & Information:

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument
Chimney Rock Archaeological Site

View a map of Mesa Verde National Park
(Map provided by the U.S. National Park Service)

Directions:
Located in Southwestern Colorado, the entrance to the park is 9 miles east of Cortez in between Cortez and Mancos on US Highway 160.

Return to the top

Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site / Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park / Blue Mesa Reservoir/Curecanti National Recreation Area / Canyons of the Ancients National Monument / Chimney Rock Archaeological Site / Colorado National Monument / Comanche National Grassland / Dinosaur National Monument / Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument

/ Garden of the Gods Recreation Area / Great Sand Dunes National Park / Hovenweep National Monument / Mesa Verde National Park / Pawnee National Grassland / Pikes Peak / Rocky Mountain National Park / The United States Air Force Academy

Order your FREE Colorado Directory here! | Download our Colorado Map here

Copyright by The Colorado Directory, Inc. This is a directory only; it is not and does not contain a recommendation,warranty, guaranty, inducement or endorsement of any kind. Representations herein were supplied by the individual businesses. The publisher, The Colorado Directory, Inc., does not assume any responsibility for truth, falsity or completeness of any representation made herein or any errors, changes, services rendered, or changes made in the use of this directory. This information was compiled as accurately as possible. Prices and services are frequently subject to change. Errors called to the publisher's attention will be corrected in the future. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Mesa Verde National Park - The Colorado Vacation Directory

TOWNS & AREAS | PLACES TO STAY | FUN THINGS TO DO | COLORADO MAPS

Mesa Verde National Park

Order your FREE Colorado Directory here! | Download our Colorado Map here