One of the most underrated national parks! Rich in history, this park offers an incredible glimpse into the past. Seeing the ancient cliff dwellings in person is an unforgettable experience they're remarkably well preserved and stand as a testament to the people who lived here centuries ago. We visited over Memorial Day weekend, and the weather couldn't have been better. The drive to the park is beautiful, with stunning scenic views along the way that make the journey just as enjoyable as the destination. If you want to tour the cliff dwellings, be sure to make a reservation in advance, as they can fill up quickly. The visitor center is modern, informative, and very well maintained. We also hiked the Petroglyph Point Trail, and the surrounding rock formations and views made it a memorable experience. Overall, this is a fascinating national park that's often overlooked but absolutely worth visiting. We'd love to come back again someday it's definitely a must-visit! read more

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All National Parks are amazing, but it's rare to find one that has such a a fascinating anthropological history as well as incredible views and landscapes. We visited in Late June, and although it was warm, the heat was very bearable. Definitely recommend registering for a tour (don't wait - they fill up quickly!) while planning your visit so you can get a better understanding of and a close up look at the cliff dwellings. Also, be aware that some of the tours are strenuous so read the descriptions before making your choices. I knew what they were before heading to Mesa Verde, but experiencing it first hand and getting to walk on in the ancient dwellings really made it come alive for me. The scenic drive was incredible as well. So many beautiful vistas and historical stops along the drive. We were here for one full day and saw quite a bit - Cliff Palace, Balcony House (Both guided tours - check the website before booking since you need to account for travel time in between), and scenic drive with stops along the way. Loved it here! read more

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I'm already planning a second visit here just due to the sheer amount of things there are to do and see. Wetherill Mesa was closed due to construction when I visited, and the season for the pueblo tours was not open yet, so that's already on my to do list. Exploring Chapin Mesa took an entire day to drive the loop, do some hiking, and read about all the different artifacts that were uncovered. I liked how there were displays about the different stages of housing and the evolution to the amazing cliff dwellings that the national park is known for. Definitely bring your binoculars to get a better look at the structures! read more

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Mesa Verde National park is a location where you will be able to connect with our ancestors through an echo of time. The way they lived, what they built, what they left behind is a reminder of what we have forgotten. Through these trips and sites that we are fortunate to experience we can honor their memory and continue the journey changed. read more

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We did the Balcony House and the lady that was our guide did a great job. She was a ranger in charge of guiding people that wanted to take this tour. From the beginning she was clear about being sure you were fit to do the tour and we were, had purchased the tickets two weeks prior Climbing the ladders was a piece of cake, nothing out of this world if you are good climbing. The only part that was a bit uncomfortable was going through the 18 inch tunnel where you have to crawl on your hands and knees and hope your hips make it through, big butt? No problem just wiggle it and it will make it through, someone ahead of me yelled "I got stuck"! and made it through though. The educational part was learning about the Pueblo people and how they lived in the dwellings over 1400 years ago, a tribute to the men and women who made all this and lived here for about 700 years The National Park Service does a good job preserving all that remains as evidence of a culture that inhabited here long before europeans got to the new continent. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Spruce Tree House - Parks Near Me

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First time visiting this park, I'm not sure it's on the way to anywhere, but it's quite unique and worth driving out of your way for. We took a tour and were very impressed with the knowledgeable ranger and the information he provided. I can't say much about the campground, except it works; up by the general store and washhouse, there are free showers that are quite good and well maintained. If you're checking out national parks, this is a good one read more

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A must visit National Park. So many national parks are mostly nature, but Mesa Verde is rich with history about the indigenous people that once lived there with also having the nature. We did the petroglyph hike around 3 miles with a bit of scrambling. Definitely recommend doing that hike if you are into hiking! The scenery on this hike kind of reminded me of Zion National Park, plus you can see some Petroglyphs around right around where you start to loop back. At the beginning of this hike, you can get a nice view of Spruce Tree House. My husband also checked out Step House while we were visiting Mesa Verde and thought it was really cool. You are able to be inside of the cliff dwellings without a tour guide though Cliff Palace is in much better shape than step house so still try to book those! We did not do any tours this time around because we had our toddlers with us and they would not be able to do any of the ladder climbs on balcony house or cliff palace. We will definitely need to come back and do the tours next time! The prices seem very reasonable if that is something that you are interested in. Also, side note we did camp in the park at Morefield Campground. We thought it was a really great campsite! If you are looking for a gift shop the Morefield camp store actually has a decent selection. Such a unique experience and way more cliff dwellings that I was expecting are inside of this park! read more

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Wasn't quite sure what to expect on our visit to Mesa Verde National Park. That being said, MVNP far surpassed the expectations I set out for it. Founded in 1906, it's purpose was to preserve the culture and history of the Ancestral Pueblo people. Learning about their culture was fascinating and inspiring once you learn about all that they accomplished. Despite it being a lesser known park, there was still a good amount to see, do, and learn here. The highlight of any visit should be joining at least one tour of the cliff dwellings. Built over 800 years ago, they are incredibly preserved and show a unique depth of history to the culture. We did the Balcony and Cliff Palace tours. Both were so incredible and filled with rich knowledge of the people. Each one provided a different experience to gaining insight to these dwelling. The Balcony Tour is a big more intimate with a smaller group as the area is smaller and requires a bit more of a physical component over Cliff Palace. Cliff Palace you'll see up close without going inside while you do get to walk inside portions of Balcony House. While both were incredible, the Balcony House tour was a clear winner for me. Tours are available for booking up to 14 days in advance and are $8/ticket. Highly recommend booking at that 14 days marker - we booked 13 days in advance, and a lot of the time slots were already gone. If you're not able to get or don't want to do any of the tours, there are still other wonderful ways to explore the park. The Top Loop Road is a beautiful drive with many pull-outs to see different ruins left from over 1,000 years ago. There is also a museum near the Top Loop Road, close to the Spruce Tree House meeting point. While we didn't have time to visit it, we heard many wonderful things about it. They also have a really nice visitor center as well as a mid-park gift shop and cafeteria if you need a rest stop. Both have Wi-Fi and clean bathrooms. If you only have a couple hours to spend in the park, there is still so much you can do and experience - don't let that stop you. Ideally, half a day to a full day would be perfect. Enjoy! read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Parks Near Me

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The park was beautiful and a lot of history. The park has an RV park and plenty of restrooms during the 20 miles through the park. One way in and out. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Area - Parks Near Me

It's a very unique national park that preserves the pueblos (a term used to describe both the people and the settlements). For those that are trying to maximize their experience, I'd say a day here is enough. There are two loops in the park to see different types of pueblos. The wow factor in this park is the Cliff Palace. If you want to get a close up view, make a reservation. A tour guide will take you to the Cliff Palace and you can walk in the pueblos. It'll cover the rooms and the pits used for agriculture back in the day before the pueblo people moved out. There are other settlements throughout the park, but they're not nearly as big as the one in Cliff Palace. That's probably the most unique feature of the park. The rest of the hilltops and nature is something that you can probably get at other national/state parks. Huge props to the Mesa Verde visiting center. It's probably one of the better ones I've visited. It has a large store and a section dedicated to preserving/showing the history of the pueblos that's been uncovered. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - The palace from above - Parks Near Me

This was our destination for the weekend. We were driving from Pagosa Springs so we got an early start. The park gets hot during the day in the summer. Be aware! We popped into the museum and talked to one of the rangers there. I asked for recommendations if one was not going on the tours down to the ruins. We had our two small dogs with us and they are not permitted on the trails. He gave us his recommendation for doing the loops with the scenic pull-offs. He also said if we had cash, we should stop and get authentic fry bread, it would be marked where to go. We headed out and stopped at every pull off on the middle and most eastern loop. We had carriers for our pups so they would not be on the trails. The history and development of different architectural techniques was fascinating. We did stop for fry bread. Two of us had garlic salt (highly recommend) and one had powdered sugar with cinnamon. We got to watch her flatten the dough and then cook it in the hot oil in a cast iron pan. Worth it! The cactus were blooming as were wildflowers throughout the park. What a treat! This park does not require timed entry. There are ranger led tours to the cliff dwellings that need to be arranged in advance. There are telescopes at key points throughout the park that do not require coins. read more

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Great day trip here. Lots to see if you want to drive on the park roads and explore in your car. They also have several picnic areas and at least one place to do ranger guided hikes. Note: call ahead to reserve for these hikes as they fill up. Some folks like to take along a pair of binoculars to see the far away cliff dwellings. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Cliff dwellings - Parks Near Me

It was a good park to visit. Unfortunately wetherhill mesa was closed till the end of may. Be prepared for a lot of driving. If you have a chance to book any of the cliff dwellings tours do it, just need a timely reservation. Also if you get one make sure you arrive early enough since the dwellings are pretty much 40 minute drive from the parking lot entrance. The visitors center was nice and big and had nice bathrooms.. Also make sure you do the mesa top loop , you get to see a lot more cliff dwellings from it. Also bring binoculars for the loop and see how many you can spot. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Cliff dwelling - Parks Near Me

Mesa verde is cool! It's a great day trip park imo. There are a few parts to the park in different areas, and some of what you'll see in one part is similar to the others - however, each cluster of ruins has its own history and story which is cool to hear about. I wish I had made the effort to book an actual ranger-guided tour of the ruins (you have to buy a ticket); I saw a group of tourists gathered about to go do that but I just looked from afar. The views in some parts of this park are just amazing, and I went in September as the foliage colors were just starting to change - would def rec going then when the weather is clear. Makes for a gorgeous view over the lookouts! read more

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Tucked in Colorado's far southwest corner, Mesa Verde awaits. It is awe-inspiring, confounding and educational for the first-time visitor and those returning alike. The archaeological treasure was chiseled more than 700 years ago when the Ancestral Pueblo people built stone villages high in the cliffs, entire communities clinging to canyon walls. History tells the story of how they thrived for centuries and then, suddenly, were gone. The reason is a mystery. What is not in question is the value of adding this stop to your itinerary. read more

Gorgeous sweeping views with a heaping cup of Native American history to go with it! What an excellent National park! The drive through the park is about an hour one way, so bring your water and snacks and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Mesa Verde! The visitors center is lovely as well! read more

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One of the coolest National Parks I've been to! First, you should definitely stop at the visitor center. It's great! The gift shop is awesome, they have guides there to explain anything within the park, examples of ladders and tunnels you have to climb through, and a cool historical section of the park. We came to take a tour of Cliff Palace. The drive is gorgeous with beautiful views everywhere you look. It does take about a solid 45mins to get to Cliff Palace. There are many great stops along the way, including Montezuma Lookout and Far View Sites. The tour of Cliff Palace was incredible. Worth the trip alone. It's a somewhat intense hike with large drops and climbing involved for everyone. It's absolutely worth it, though! The tour guides are fantastic and move nice and slow. The history, views, and hands on experience is amazing. If you're in the area or on the fence about coming, do it! It's a great day well spent and such a beautiful National Park! read more

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I've been to all 4 of Colorado's national parks and this is definitely one of my favorites! I like that it's off the beaten path and quieter. Very unique park with lots of history. I did the petroglyph point hike which was 3 miles and full of lots of stairs and interesting terrain. It's a great way to see a vista of the village and petroglyphs! I found the employees in the visitor center very kind and helpful and I found the perfect poster to remember my trip. read more

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I used half a day to make a quick 2nd return visit to Mesa Verde National Park. But in all reality, you need at least 1 full day to make the most of this unique NP experience, located in Southwestern Colorado. It's $30 entrance fee. You pay this at the entrance gate before driving the Mesa Loop Road that leads to the summit of Mesa Verde, high above the desert valley floor. Before making your way along Mesa Loop Road, a stop at the Visitor Center is worthwhile for purchasing souvenirs and stamping your Parks Passport. Also at the VC, I'd suggest signing up for a Cliff Dwelling Tour. An in depth tour gives the best sense for how the local ancestral peoples lived and prospered among the remote land from yesteryear. The Cliff House or Balcony House (I believe) are the most popular tours offered accompanied by a park ranger. If you arrive early in the morning, you'll get the tour time of your choice. If you arrive later on, tours can sell out and all that may be left are the least desirable times. For driving the Mesa Loop Road, it's 20 miles to the Park Headquarters and Museum. It's 23 miles in total to the cliff dwellings. The road is nicely paved. Along the drive, there are random roadside stops to exit your car and appreciate the surroundings. This Mesa Loop Drive is beautiful and I enjoyed the pullovers along the way to the peak. Here are some highlighted stops.... - Mancos Overlook - good introduction to the southwestern landscape. - Montezuma Overlook - worthwhile spot showcasing the vast wilderness setting. - Park Point w/ Fire Lookout Tower - highest point in Mesa Verde at 8572 feet in elevation. - Geologic Overlook - more panoramic views. Since I arrived midday, all tours were sold out, but still when I made it to the summit, I was able to do some short hiking to capture glimpses of a few of the dwellings, which makes up the heart of Mesa Verde. In a way, being here is very much historical while at the same time you're blessed with great sightseeing views. Beside the Park Museum is an observation area for the Spruce Tree House. There is a hiking trail offered, but it is closed along the way towards arriving at Spruce Tree House. The best you can do is appreciate the backdrop of the cliff dwelling in the distance. But, if you'd like to get yourself on a hiking path, you can do it, but it's warned that the trail is strenuous. Since I had little time before sunset, I took a picture of Spruce Tree House and moved on. Exploring around the summit, the Cliff Palace Overlook offers terrific glances of Cliff Palace. And again, this is one of the primary Mesa Verde tours. What I liked about Cliff Palace Overlook for afternoon time was the sun being well positioned in the sky for quality photography. Next, I showed up at Balcony House around 5pm and it was already closed for the day. Signing up early for a tour here can be rewarding. Just past Balcony House was Soda Canyon Overlook Trail - a 1.2 mile roundtrip hike leading to views of Balcony House. But, the scenery was situated too far off into the distance for efficient photo taking. And for this Soda Canyon Overlook, afternoon time had shadows cast across most of the landscape blanketing the canyon. Pictures were mediocre, but had great potential for the height of day. Btw....they offer lodging inside Mesa Verde. It's called the Far View Lodge. I believe there's a campground beside the lodge as well including a Grab-N-Go cafeteria. Overall, just for a quick afternoon visit to Mesa Verde, it was a rushed process. I regret not giving myself more time to appreciate the sights and historical significances. Lastly, Mesa Verde is conveniently located to many other wonderful sightseeing landmarks and attractions... - If you're headed west, there's 4 Corners Monument and the incredible natural wonders of Arizona and Utah. - If you're headed north, there's Durango, Colorado including Million Dollar Highway drive from Silverton to Ouray leading to Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP and Colorado National Monument. - If you're headed east, there's Great Sand Dunes National Park. - If you're headed south, there's New Mexico including Taos, Santa Fe and Albuquerque. In the end, would I recommend visiting Mesa Verde National Park? Yes. If you come here with a fresh outlook, I believe you can find fulfillment out of the historical experience while enjoying the vista point overlooks along Mesa Loop Road. read more

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This review is for Petrogylph Point Trail which was a ~2.4 miles round trip that took ~2.5 hours to complete. The cliff dwelling was located near the beginning of the trail. Futhermore, the petroglyph was located at marker #23 with a "Do Not Touch" sign. Trail was difficult with several feet of snow, especially at the top of the canyon. Follow the pink and yellow ribbons! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/BjuF8IvAzyU read more

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A world heritage site, this sacred place will leave you spell bound. It is a must visit. Plan on 1-2 days to see it all. Spend time to plan your trip, get the required entry reservations and soak in the history, learn how the native people cultivated the land, made their homes and prospered here for years, then departed. Distances are far, so stop by the visitor center for a map and orientation and explore the exhibits. Then visit the museum, watch the movie and educate yourself on what you are about to see. There are numerous parking areas for hiking or viewing the cliff dwellings. The Cliff Palace is the largest dwelling in North America. Balcony House is also spectacular. Read the physical requirements to make sure you can handle the ladders. This is one amazing place. read more

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A must see nation park! I have been to quite a few national parks and this one stuck out to me because of not only the beautiful mountains, mesas and rock formations, but also because of the interesting and unique history of the Peublo people. I was only able to stay for a few hours, but it was worth the stop! read more

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Mesa Verde National Park must be one of the least known national parks but should be much better known. It features some spectacular canyons and an ancestral Pueblo, a community of people who built directly into the cliffs. With the combination of natural beauty and the uniqueness of the community it's a fascinating drive through and is a relatively short distance from Durango. read more

If YOU HAVE A FEW HOURS: Your first stop should be at the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center (at the park entrance) for information, orientation and current road and trail conditions. Plan to spend 90 minutes on the roundtrip drive up and down the mesa. Enjoy some of the scenic overlooks along the drive. Visit the Mesa Verde Museum to learn more about the Pueblo people and view the park film. Visit the Spruce Tree House Overlook near the museum. Drive the Cliff Palace Loop Road. Marvel at Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America, from the overlook. Stop at the overlooks for House of Many Windows and Hemenway House. Hike the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail to a view of Balcony House. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Cliff Dwelling in the background, and in the foreground I'm standing on a rock full of flora fossils. Incredible! - Parks Near Me

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This was our first trip to Mesa Verde and we are so glad we came. This is such a beautiful park to visit and for camping. The hookups were easy to use and the spaces were spread out. Very nice. We went on a tour of Cliff Palace which you need make prior reservations. The tour was definitely worth the $8. Also it was only about a 1/4 walk which wasn't bad for a 65 year old. Overall this was one of my best parks to visit. read more

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This National Park is one that you shouldn't miss. It's quite a ride through the park, but to see the actual dwellings that are carved into the side of the bluffs is mind-bending. To think that this work was done without modern machinery hundreds of years ago is unfathomable. Another place to sit and ponder the lives and times of the era and the hardships that were endured. read more

If you appreciate this review, please annotate it as "helpful," give a "thanks" or "love this", and follow me for more. Check out my IG: whiskey_with for more news, insight, pairings and other fun related content. ---------------------------------------------- My family and I stayed in Telluride and made the journey to visit Mesa Verde starting at 7am. We would then visit four corners monument later that afternoon (SEE REVIEW for Four Corners Monument). Customer Service was great. I will review the visitor center separately. Our Balcony House Tour Guide was fantastic. He was part of the Americorp volunteers and had family lineage tied to the tribe who lived in Mesa Verde. The scenery is stunning and one of the spots we pulled off to get out of the car was a large canyon. When you were still, you could experience true silence. We drove around mesa verde on our own, but ultimately to attend the Balcony House tour. Balcony House Tour | First, it was a great tour. From a physical and mental perspective, it was challenging. We had a 12 and 10 yr old boys, and after we were done, my wife and I agreed, we would never bring kids younger than that (our opinions). The concerning areas of this tour require little fear of heights and ability to complete the following: - 32ft ladder with a steep angle (not your swing set ladder angle) - 2 narrow passages to go through (easy) - 1 tunnels very narrow, have to crawl about 5-6 feet - 1 more ladder which is no problem if you do the first one, followed by a steep walk up the mountain for about 20 feet and a chain railing to hold onto. ***see photos and videos for visual There is a cafe, food hall and gift shop enroute. The espresso is pretty good. I don't like bright citrus forward roasts for my iced americano, but their beans were a darker roast. Just make sure you have the amount of ice you want as they pour the espresso over ice, which leads to little ice when you get your beverage The gift shop had a bottle in the gift shop which I thought was interesting, but did not purchase. PASS INFORMATION US Military Veterans, Gold Star Families don't forget to pick up your Lifetime Pass. Active and Current Military pick up your Annual Pass prior to traveling. ‍ There are student passes for free as well. At the time of writing this 4th Graders could have a free pass. https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm read more

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Beautiful park, great place to visit in town. The rangers are wonderful providing history and tour.

It has been over 30 years since I was last here. We planned our visit months ago and made sure to order tickets through recreation.gov for two of the tours we wanted to do. You can only order two weeks in advance. Many people seemed surprised they couldn't buy tickets at the park. We arrived early since the tours warn you that it can take a long time to drive through the park. Also there had been an alert on ops.gov that road construction was to begin in mid-August. Upon our arrival we found out that the construction was delayed. We used that extra time to pull out at every viewpoint on our way to the Long House Tour. Fantastic scenery. Given that there was room we were able to get on both of our tours one time slot earlier - so hats off to the rangers for being flexible. The Long House tour was very good and Kevin did a nice job telling stories that brought the place to life. It was pretty hot so walking too and from and up and down was a workout. Given all of the warnings it was hard to believe that some people showed up without water! After picnicking we made our way to the Cliff Palace Loop for an afternoon tour (the other loop on that side was closed due to construction). We again got on an earlier tour and made our way down to the Cliff Palace (this was not as long a walk as the other tour). Our indigenous intern guide brought a different perspective to the tour. Amazing stories in an amazing place. On our way out we stopped at the visitor center - wow it is nice. One of the newest we have been in. A great national park! read more

As a lifelong outdoorsman, and a steward of natural beauty and wonder in a world of tiny screens, I am a big supporter of the United States national Park system. Annually, I purchase an inter-agency pass, and we use it dozens of times throughout the year exploring places that don't have stoplights and parking meters. During our 2022 cross country road trip, we enjoyed our first visit to Mesa Verde, and we had an amazing time. The only access point for this park is off US 160, between the small southern Colorado towns of Mancos and Cortez. The high country mesas, sandstone promontories, deep beautiful canyons, and sweep investors are home to hundreds of different animals and plants that eke out an existence here. Most visitors know that Mesa Verde features incredible cliff dwellings built by Native Americans hundreds of years ago. Throughout the park, there are several turnoffs along the roads, and short hikes that offer views of these cliff buildings, along with earlier structures that date back to 600 A.D. unfortunately, we were not aware that the most up close and personal tours of these cliff structures required tickets for an extra fee, and 2 to 3 weeks advanced ordering. I suppose it's a caveat empter moment, but I have not been to many national parks that require this added fee and reservation to enjoy its natural features. To be honest, it kind of left a sour taste in my mouth, despite the fact that we were still able to enjoy our visit. The highlight of our trip at Mesa Verde was taking the Petroglyph trail hike-- The entrance gate brochure makes it sound like a very dangerous expedition-- squeezing between boulders and climbing rocks along steep drop offs-- but it turned out to be somewhat more benign, if not beautiful. Indeed, the hike required some uphill climbing, uneven steps over rocks, and some low overhanging rocks along the canyon wall, but it was a wonderful family loop hike of about 2.4 miles, With an awesome example of petroglyphs left by natives on one of the sandstone rock faces. During our visit, the road to Cliff Palace was closed! This is one of the largest cliff dwelling structures in the park, and while we could see it from a distance from the adjacent Road loop, it also was kind of a bummer not to be able to get closer. Yeah, I know... They got to pay the roads in season, but it was a little disappointing. This is a beautiful place, as billed. we spent two days in the park, and saw just about everything there was to see. While we did not get to take a tour inside the dwellings, and for what it's worth, they did not have any national park maps at the gate, overall we had a wonderful time. A few monsoonal thunderstorms caught us off and gave us a lightning show, small wildlife and birds were plentiful, and visiting these amazing structures that we have seen in other places like Canyonlands NP and Walnut Canyon NM extended our admiration of the ingenuity early Puebloans had. But as another yelp reviewer stated, one visit to Mesa Verde national Park is probably enough. Maybe someday I will return to take a guided tour, but to quote Frost: "Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back." read more

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My father had heard about this NP and the cliff dwellings in it, so we decided to plan a stop and check it out. I can only comment on their Mesa Top Loop Road. This is the paved-road driving loop has many overlook stopping spots to see the twelve officially marked cliff dwellings thoughout the park. The most magnificent stop is the "Cliff Palace", and it was truly beautiful. read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Pano! (09/03/2024) - Parks Near Me

Another beautiful national park in Colorado which covers history from 700 years. It is a historical park which covers different hikes showing the history and definitely complete the hike of 2.5 miles which is pretty easy and shows the old history. The visitor center is also amazing and definitely try to complete the historical tour which is worth it. The cliff dwellings are amazing. The entire park is beautifully kept with all the information and everyone including rangers and people who have restored the history deserve an applause for the work they have done. read more

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Wow! What an amazing place. The coolest thing about Mesa Verde national Park is the archaeology and history of the area. Unlike other national parks you get a history lesson on an ancient civilization and are able to walk through places people were living in thousands of years ago. So this definitely makes it a top contender for best national Park for families, kids will find this place amazing. It's easy to spend a couple hours seen some of the major sites or to spend an entire weekend here, there's plenty to do. A couple notes: You must make reservations to get the tours of the cliff dwellings. Dogs are not allowed in most areas and on trails, so if you're traveling with a pet you will be limited on places you can go. The park is very easy to get in and out of with plenty of things to do in the surrounding area read more

Mesa Verde National Park - Parks Near Me

A must visit for history buffs. As most other people, I made the trip to view Cliff Palace, but most access is closed off. The tours do not resume until May and is ticketed, so plan a minimum of two weeks in advance. There are not many trails in this park. Think of it as an outdoor museum with pull outs for scenic points. Until tours resume, your best bet at getting up and close with pueblos is in the Far View area. A beautiful 20+ mile up to the top for the Mesa Loop and back once again. There is only one entrance off of the highway near Cortez. Most of the trails are near the campground four miles from the entrance. Unfortunately, I was never able to get someone over the phone except for ticketing agents. I wanted to speak to a ranger about trail conditions, but had to go in person. I visited two days because of weather. The first day had wind gusts of 20 plus miles per hour. The Mesa Loop lets you run in and out of your car for views and information of the previous settlers. The next day I hiked with much better trail conditions. read more

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Mesa Verde is so cool! Limited ranger led tours are available. You can find them on recreation.gov two weeks in advance. They usually sell out within the first few minutes, so get in front of that computer with your trigger finger! I was lucky enough to get two tickets to Long House, and it was such a spectacular experience. We also checked out badger house while we were in the area, but if you plan on doing the Mesa Top Loop Road trail, it is a bit redundant. If you can't get tickets for a ranger led tour, you can self tour the Step House and get up close and personal there (well, without touching anything!). You'll be able to see a lot if you have one full day at this National Park. read more

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INCREDIBLE experience. Range Paul was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and courteous. Matter of fact, every employee of the park service was gracious to a fault. Waited many years to visit and to see a number of the sites. Mesa Verde is a true treasure as is the staff! read more

We went in August and had the best time!! Even tho it was rainy one of our days there, we were still able to do the Balcony House and the Cliff Palace tours!! They were incredible! Our guides were both very knowledgeable and we learned so much about the dwellings and the people who lived there! Definitely would go back to see everything else we weren't able to see since half of the park was closed for construction. read more

I was always fascinated by Mesa Verde and finally made it here. March may not be the best month to visit, but even at this time we were able to see some of the cliff dwellings and learn about the people who inhabited this land. It is very impressive what humans were able to build a thousand years ago and how they managed to navigate local wilderness. This a great park for history buffs and nature lovers alike. read more

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I'm a huge fan of national parks and this is one to have on your check off list. However, my three star rating is due to so many trails being closed due to COVID-19 aftermath. Skelton crew of park rangers (all of them awesome by the way), and little staff for trail tours. NOTE- As of June 18 The main attraction- Spruce Trail which leads to the Pueblo ruins is CLOSED. A huge rock fell and damaged part of the structure and now a crane is needed to help repair and reinforce the site with archaeological oversight. This planned re-opening is a year away. Closest viewing area is The Palace stop. Petroglyph trail is open but doesn't get you anywhere close. read more

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I visited this park during the Christmas, and it was snowing heavily. Our tour guide sent us there. The park was just okay for me