A thousand years ago, the Four Corners region of the United States was the epicenter of a complex and incredible civilization that flourished for centuries. The Ancestral Puebloans built complex and elaborate dwellings into the cliffs at places such as Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon, and Canyon de Chelly. In this Mesa Verde National Park guide, I am going to provide you with a blueprint of how to explore this incredible park.

Mesa Verde is arguably the most famous of all the Ancestral Puebloan sites in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. The park is renowned for its well-preserved cliff dwellings and other archeological sites. In fact, the infamous Cliff Palace may be one of the most well-preserved and largest Ancestral Puebloan sites still around today.

An All-You-Need Mesa Verde National Park Guide

In my Mesa Verde National Park guide, I will provide you will all of the information that you will need to plan a fun and memorable trip to visit the park. I explain the best way for travelers to get to the park from outside the state or outside the country.

I also outline the best times to visit the park and highlight the top things to see and do while you are there. Finally, I also give you my suggestions on the best things to see and do outside of the park while on your trip. With this information in hand, it will be easy to plan a trip to Mesa Verde that you will remember for a lifetime.

Mesa Verde National Park Navigation Menu

How to Get to Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde is located in the Southwest corner of the state of Colorado, just north of the Ute Mountain Reservation. The park is just a short 50-mile drive from the popular Four Corners National Monument, which marks the border of the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.

If you are flying into the area to see the park from outside the region or the country, the nearest city with a large, international airport is Albuquerque, New Mexico. You will want to book your flight into the Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ).

For those who will be visiting the Mesa Verde National Park from elsewhere in the area, I have also included a map with the park’s location below for you to review. Because of its location close to the borders of Utah and Arizona, the park is also easy to visit from the amazing parklands in Southeastern Utah and Northern Arizona.

For those planning to visit other nearby attractions, I have included a table with the distance and drive time to other popular cities and attractions in the area. As you can see, there is a wealth of incredible things to see and do in the general vicinity of Mesa Verde.

Top Things to See in Mesa Verde National Park

There are a lot of incredible archeological sites to see in Mesa Verde National Park, so I plan on spending a full day at the park if you want to see it all. Some of the sites are viewable from lookouts that are just off the road, and some sites you need to do a little hiking to see.

The park is essentially divided into three sections, with the Morefield Campground, Far Site Lodge, and several breathtaking overlooks located in the Northern part of the park. From there, the park road splits off to the East and the West, with the Wetherill Mesa to the West and the Chapin Mesa to the East.

Both the eastern and western sections of the park contain sites that you can tour on your own, as well as sites that require a paid ticket to tour. If you are starting to put together an itinerary for your visit, I have listed what I think are the top things to see within Mesa Verde for you to review below.

Kodak House

This is the furthest site on the Long House Loop of Wetherill Mesa. There is an overlook 2.5 miles from the parking lot in which you can see the Kodak House. The dwellings were named for a camera that was left at the site by Gustaf Nordenskiöld in the 1880’s.

Cliff Palace

The first site that you will encounter when driving the popular Cliff Palace Loop Road is the Cliff Palace. This is one of the larger sites in Mesa Verde and included 150 rooms and 23 kivas that housed approximately 100 people in its day. To put that into perspective, 75% of the over 600 dwellings that are within the park only had between 1-5 rooms. It is believed that this special site was used for administrative and ceremonial purposes.

Balcony House

This medium-sized village of 38 rooms and two kivas likely supported a handful of families comprised of up to 30 people. With two naturally occurring springs nearby, the site is in an ideal location. One interesting thing about this site is that its alcove faces northeast, which means that it received very little warmth from the sun.

If you are interested, you are able to tour the Balcony House. There is a 32-foot entrance ladder that leads into the cliff dwelling which makes this one of the more fun and adventurous tours in Mesa Verde. The tours run throughout the summer months, so if you are interested in seeing the Balcony House, make sure you keep that in mind.

Long House

Located on the Wetherill Mesa in the Western section of Mesa Verde National Park, the Long House site is accessible via a long, winding 12-mile road that follows a fire trail. Be aware that the road is rather steep, so vehicle length is limited to 25 feet or less. If you aren’t comfortable driving the road, there is a two-hour, ranger-guided tour of the Long House that you can take.

Montezuma Valley Overlook

There are several amazing valley viewpoints in the park, but this may be my favorite. From this viewpoint, you can see out over the breathtaking Montezuma Valley. It is easy to lose track of time as you enjoy the beautiful views of the area. But don’t lose track of time for too long. There are many other incredible viewpoints for you to enjoy!

Hemenway House Overlook

The Hemenway House is one of my favorite sites in the park. It looks like it is about to fall off of a small ledge that it is resting on, which makes you wonder how it has survived this long.

Built-in the 1200s, the Hemenway House has 26 rooms and a kiva and was named after Mary Tileston Hemenway. She founded the first scientific archeological expedition in the southwest and was instrumental in protecting the ancestral Pueblo sites in the region.

For those who would like to visit the Hemenway House, this amazing overlook is open from 8am until sunset between late spring and December 1, or the first significant snowfall.

Park Point Overlook

The beautiful Park Point Overlook is the highest elevation point within Mesa Verde. To put into perspective how high of an elevation it is, the Park Point Overlook at 8,572 feet (2,612 meters), is at a higher elevation than Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes. Now that is what I would call high.

From the Park Point Overlook, you can see the 14,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains to the North. To the South, you can see the high desert plateau and rocky canyons of New Mexico. It really is one of the most breathtaking viewpoints to see in person.

However, the overlook isn’t just for sightseers. The historical Park Point Fire Lookout sits at the highest point and is still used today to communicate lightning, severe weather, and fire information to the surrounding areas.

Soda Canyon Overlook

For those who are looking to do some hiking while visiting Mesa Verde National Park, one of the trails I would recommend is the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail. It’s a fairly easy, out-and-back trail that brings you through a beautiful pinyon-juniper forest. Along the trail are three overlooks along the edge of Soda Canyon where you will be rewarded with views of the Balcony House and several other cliff dwellings.

This beautiful canyon was named after the white, calcium carbonate deposits that line the canyon wall below the rim. These are the evaporated remains of springs that were once used by the Ancestral Pueblo people. More amazing history that you will get to see with your own eyes.

View Larger Map

Square Tower House

I would be remiss if I didn’t include the largest structure in Mesa Verde on my list of the top things to see in the park. That honor goes to the four-story, 27-foot (8-meter) tall Square Tower House. Although what you see has been stabilized by archeologists, 90% of the structure is original. Inside the house, you will find painted murals and rock art that will amaze you.

The painted murals and the fact that some of the original plastered walls still exist tell us that the original builders of these structures cared about beauty in addition to practicality. They were just as concerned about interior decoration as we are with our homes today.

House of Many Windows

The final site on my list of the top things to see in Mesa Verde is one of the more underrated sites in the park. The House of Many Windows is a small, but picturesque, cliff dwelling that is perched on a ten-foot-wide ledge inside Cliff Canyon. Despite how it may appear, the many windows that you can see are actually doorways into the site’s rooms that are made of hand-carved sandstone.

Mesa Verde National Park Resources

Download the Detailed Park Map

When planning any trip, you can never have too many resources at your disposal.  In addition to the information I have provided you in this Mesa Verde National Park guide, I have linked to several other official resources from the US National Parks Service below to use to plan your trip as well.

• Park Fees and Passes
• Park Maps
• Park Camping
• History and Culture
• Animals in the Park
• Restaurants in the Area
• Cliff Dwelling Tours
• Self-Guided Tours
• National Park Brochure

Best Times to Visit Mesa Verde National Park

Depending on what you plan to do during your visit, certain times of the year may be better than others to visit Mesa Verde National Park. To assist you in your planning, I have included some important weather, visitor, and park closure information for you to review below.

Winter Closures

What many people don’t realize because of its location in Southern Colorado is how high of an elevation Mesa Verde is. The park sits between 7,000 and 8,500 feet in elevation. Because of its high elevation, the winters at the park are typically cold.

Not only that, but the park gets a healthy amount of snow during winter. Because of this, parts of the park aren’t as accessible or open during the winter months. Before heading to the park during the winter, make sure you check the local weather conditions.

In addition to that, you should be aware that there is no overnight camping or lodging within the park. However, there are hotels and motels in nearby cities that you can stay at. For more information on accommodation options, please see my Where to Stay near Mesa Verde National Park section of this guide.

In addition to accommodation within the park, several of the park roads are closed during the winter months as well. This includes the following:

• Cliff Palace Loop Road – Closed from December 1 (or first substantial snowfall) until late spring.
• Long House Loop – Closed from December 1 (or the first substantial snowfall) until late spring.

Average Temperature (°F)

If you would like to see the whole park, I would suggest planning your visit between late spring and early autumn, as this is when all of the park’s facilities will be open. Mesa Verde is at a high elevation, so it can get quite cold between the months of November and March.

On the other end of the spectrum, in the summer months of June through August, the daytime temperatures can get quite hot. So, if you plan on doing a lot of hiking in the park, you may want to target the spring and autumn months instead.

Average Precipitation (Inches)

The park doesn’t get a ton of precipitation throughout the year, but what it does get is fairly consistent. The driest months of the year are the late spring and early summer. So, if you want to maximize the good weather you’ll have at the park, targeting the months of May and June are a good bet.

Average Snowfall

Because of its high elevation and cold winter temperatures, the park does get snow during the winter. Most of the snowfall that the park does get comes during the period between the months of January and March. Although not all of the park’s facilities are open during the winter, the park is pretty with a fresh layer of snowfall. So, if you don’t mind the cold and snow, it can be beautiful to visit and photograph the site in wintertime.

Average Number of Visitors

Not surprisingly, most of the visitors who come to Mesa Verde tend to visit during the summer months. As I mentioned previously, this is when the weather is the warmest and all of the park’s facilities are open. However, this is also when the park can be the most crowded. If you want to avoid the crowds but have nice weather, I would suggest visiting in the late spring or early autumn instead.

Other Things to See in the Area

In addition to the incredible sites within the park, the Four Corners region and the extended area are home to several other amazing things to see. If you are driving through the area and are looking for some additional sites to add to your road trip itinerary, I have included some great suggestions for you to review below.

Four Corners National Monument

One of the closest attractions to Mesa Verde is also one of the most popular attractions in the area. The Four Corners National Monument is the location where the borders of the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah meet. The corners of all four states meet at a single point. This makes it possible to jump between all four states in a matter of seconds.

Great Sand Dunes National Park

Another amazing place to visit that isn’t too far from Mesa Verde is the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The Park is home to massive sand dunes that rival those in the world’s largest deserts. Not only are they a marvel to look at, but you can rent snowboards to go sandboarding down the massive dunes. It’s definitely a park that should be on every traveler’s list.

Monument Valley

One of the most beautiful and famous areas in the American Southwest is the renowned Monument Valley. Located in the border area between Utah and Arizona, this Navajo Tribal land has some of the most spectacular landscapes that you will find anywhere in the world. If it looks familiar, it’s probably because the area was used in many old Western movies and newer flicks such as Forest Gump.

Where to Stay Near Mesa Verde National Park

Campgrounds

When visiting the national parks and monuments of the United States, it is a really neat experience to camp out during your visit.  Some of the best campgrounds in America can be found inside the country’s national parks and monuments and the surrounding areas. 

This is especially true of the Mesa Verde National Park, which has some great campsites in the area. If you are interested in camping out during your visit, I have included a map of some area campgrounds for you to review in my Mesa Verde National Park guide below.

Hotels

If camping is not your speed, you need not worry as there are a variety of good hotels for you to choose from in the area as well. The closest hotels and motels are located in the nearby city of Cortez, Colorado. The city is only 10 miles from the park, so it is a very convenient place to stay during your visit.

If the hotels in Cortez don’t meet your needs, there are many more hotels in the nearby city of Durango, Colorado. Durango is roughly 36 miles from the park, so you will have a longer drive to visit the park. However, there are many more hotels and motels in Durango because it is a larger city.

This is where you will find some of the nicer hotels in the Mesa Verde National Park’s general vicinity. For your review, I have included a map and a list of recommended hotels at different price points for you to review in my Mesa Verde National Park guide below.

View Larger Map

Activities in the Mesa Verde National Park Area

Mesa Verde National Park is definitely one of the parklands that you will get much more out of with a knowledgeable guide by your side. They are intimately familiar with how to get around to the many spread-out sites within the park. Not only that, but they are experts on those sites. There is so much they can teach you about the history and the culture that will enrich your visit.

If you are interested in taking a tour of the park or are looking for other activities to enjoy in the area, you’re in luck. I have included some highly rated tours for you to review in my Mesa Verde National Park guide below.

Mesa Verde National Park Photo Gallery

Mesa Verde is one of the most unique and historically significant national parklands in the United States. I have had the pleasure of visiting this amazing park on a few occasions, and have loved photographing the park’s unique sites. For those interested in seeing more of my photos of the park, I have included a gallery in my Mesa Verde National Park guide below.

If you’re interested in exploring more of my travel photography, I’d love for you to join me on Instagram! Creating this blog to share my free guides, itineraries, and travel photography tips takes a lot of effort, and a follow on Instagram would truly mean the world to me. Your support makes it all worthwhile!

FOLLOW ME!

• Instagram

Don’t Forget to Subscribe to My Adventures!

Let Me Help You Save On Your Next Adventure!

‘Start Exploring Today’ Merchandise Available Now!