Established: 1906
Season
The National Park, the Museum and Spruce Tree House are open throughout the year; other facilities are closed in winter.
The Mesa Verde ("Green Table") is a tabular hill covered with coniferous forest which reaches a height of 8,573ft/2,613m, rising abruptly to 2,000ft/600m above the semi-desertic foreland of the Rockies in the extreme southwest of Colorado. It is of interest not so much for the natural landscape as for the relics of a past Indian culture. Around the beginning of the Christian era the river valleys in this region were occupied by nomadic Indians who later took to a settled life. In the sixth century, for reasons that are not understood, they moved back to the densely forested plateau and its gorges, where they found fertile soils and a sufficiency of water. Here considerable remains of rock habitations (pit houses on the plateau, cliff dwellings on the sides of the canyons), multi-story houses of adobe or stone built round a central square (pueblos) and cult sites (kivas) of the Anasazi Indians have been preserved.
In addition the discovery was made of large quantities of implements and craft objects dating from the heyday of the settlements between the 11th and 13th centuries. Then in the 14th century the inhabitants left their settlements for some unknown reason and moved southwest.
There are an estimated 4,000 statutorily protected archeological sites in the National Park. Admission to the park is restricted and strictly controlled, and some areas can be visited only in the company of a park ranger.
Things to See
There are self-guided tours through the Badger House ruins, including a pithouse and stone pueblos.
Hours:
May 25 to September 3: 10am-5pm
From Cedar Tree Tower it is a short walk to the terraced fields once cultivated by the Indians.
The tower is a ten-foot rounded wall that may have been used as a lookout.
Typical Visit: 30 minutes
The other road from the Visitor Center leads to Chapin Mesa, passing the Far View Ruins and Cedar Tree Tower. In 25mi/40km the road comes to the Park Headquarters Area.
The Chapin Mesa Museum has archeological remains, Indian arts and crafts.
There are dioramas depicting the life of the Anasazi Indians.
Hours:
January 1 to April 15: 8am-5pm
April 16 to October 15: 8am-6:30pm
October 16 to December 23: 8am-5pm
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service
From the entrance on the north side of the park a winding road leads to Morfield Village. It then continues past Montezuma Valley Overlook and Park Point to the Far View Visitor Center.
The Far View Ruins were occupied between the 10th and 14th centuries.
An access road leads to a parking area, from which footpaths lead to the Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Mummy Lake, Megalith House, Far View Tower, and Far View Ditch.
The Far View Visitor Center features exhibits of Native American jewelry, pottery, and basket displays. Visitors must purchase their tickets for Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or Long House from the visitor center.
Hours:
April 15 to October 15: 8am-5pm
Facilities: Gift shop
No permit is required for the Knife Edge Trail (1.5mi/2.4km), in the Morfield Village area.
The trail leads to a picnic site at the Montezuma Valley Overlook.
The Kodak House can be seen from an overlook on the Wetherill Mesa Road. There are about 60 rooms in the two-story building.
The Long House is the second largest ruin in the park, with a large open space in which dances and ceremonies were performed.
The Long House can only be visited under the guidance of a park ranger; tickets must be purchased in advance at the Far View Visitor Center. The often strenuous tour is not recommended for those with health problems.
Hours:
May 25 to September 3: 10am-6pm
Guides: Guided tour included with admission.
Typical Visit: 1 hour
On the entrance road to Mesa Verde National Park is the Montezuma Overlook, with views of Montezuma Valley and surrounding area. The overlook is an excellent place to watch the sunset.
Four miles past the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is Morefield Village, with a campground and park visitor services. The campground has over 400 sites and is open from late April until mid-October on a first come, first served basis.
Tips: Trailers and towed vehicles are not permitted beyond Morefield Campground. Morefield Village is the only location within the park where gas may be purchased.
On the western loop of Ruins Road is a pulloff for an overlook of Navajo Canyon.
Nordenskiold Site #16 is named after Gustaf Nordenskiold, who excavated the Step House site in 1891.
A loop road branching off of the road to Chapin Mesa leads to the Park Headquarters Area, with the Chapin Mesa Museum and the Spruce Tree House, as well as the park headquarters, a library and ranger's office.
From the entrance road to Mesa Verde National Park, an access road leads to Park Point, the highest point in the park at 8,572 feet.
A permit must be obtained from the National Park administration for hiking on the Spruce Canyon Trail and the Petroglyph Point Trail, in the area of the Chapin Mesa Museum.
The Petroglyph Point Hike is a three mile loop beginning at the Chapin Mesa Museum. Along the route are Anasazi petroglyphs and views of the Navajo and Spruce Canyons.
From the Morfield Amphitheater parking lot, the Point Lookout Trail rises 500 feet over 2.3 miles to an impressive overlook.
No permit is required for the Prater Ridge Trail (7-3/4mi/12.5km) in the Morfield Village area.
The Prater Ridge Trail is a loop that features views of the Montezuma Valley.
On the eastern loop of the road are the Cliff Palace and the Balcony House.
The high spots in the western part of the park are the Square Tower House, the Sun Point Pueblo, and the unfinished Sun Temple.
There is an overlook of Soda Canyon accessible from the eastern loop of Ruins Road in Mesa Verde National Park.
A permit must be obtained from the National Park administration for hiking on the Spruce Canyon Trail (2mi/3.2km) and the Pictograph Point Trail, in the area of the Chapin Mesa Museum.
Beginning at the Chapin Mesa Museum, the Spruce Canyon Trail drops 500 feet to the canyon floor.
To the southeast of the Park Headquarters area, on the edge of Spruce Canyon, is Spruce Tree House, the best preserved settlement in the park and one of the largest, with 114 rooms and 8 kivas.
The walk to Spruce Tree House begins next to the Chapin Mesa Museum, descending 100 feet.
Tips: Accessible to wheelchairs with assistance.
Disability Access: Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities: Wheelchair loan or rental
Typical Visit: 1 hour
The Square Tower House is a four-story structure built against the rock wall of the Navajo Canyon.
The Step House shows remains of two periods of settlement.
There is an unfinished pithouse, built around 625 AD and a stone cliff dwelling built 600 years later.
Hours:
May 25 to September 3: 10am-5pm
The Sun Point Pueblo has the remains of a village which was pulled down by its inhabitants in the 13th century to provide material for new dwellings in a cave in nearby Cliff Canyon.
The unfinished Sun Temple is a large cult building on a D-shaped plan.
Two Raven House can be found near the Badger House ruins on Wetherill Mesa.
From the Far View Visitor Center a 13mi/21km long road runs to Wetherill Mesa, with the Step House and the Long House.
All the Wetherill Mesa sites are accessible by hiking trails, except Long House, which is reached only by a mini-train.
Hours:
May 25 to September 3: 8am-4:30pm
Tips: Vehicles restricted to a maximum length of 25 feet.
No bicycles allowed.
Address:
Mesa Verde National Park, Box 8, Mesa Verde, CO 81330-0008, United States
Phone: 1 (970) 529-4465, Fax: 1 (970) 529-4637
Tips: Open year-round (except for Wetherill Mesa). Admission is good for 7 days.
Hiking is restricted to established park trails.
Pets must be on a leash.
Biking is permitted on paved roads (except Wetherill Mesa).
Facilities: Gift shop
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Mesa Verde National Park, setting where ancients lived on the cliffs.
Close up of ruins in Mesa Verde National Park.
Ancient ruins at Mesa Verde National Park.
Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park.
Detail of the Spruce Tree House in Mesa Verde National Park.
