Visiting Mesa Verde: Know before you go!

Walking among the storied ruins where the Ancestral Puebloan people once lived high in the clefts of the sandstone cliffs is a fascinating venture that attracts over half a million tourists each year. But make sure to plan wisely before visiting Mesa Verde. Know before you go!

There are several cliff dwellings to explore. Most require a guided tour. Some require long ladders and tunnels or a 2 mile hike. Others are offered at special times of the day or year, and a couple are free to wander through on your own. Each dwelling is unique.

The architects who created these cliff dwellings were creative, using existing bedrock to determine the size and shape of the adobe rooms wedged inside the protective space. Tucked into alcoves, these adjoining rooms ranged in number from 3 to 150, and in some places stacked 2-3 stories tall, provided housing for farming communities living here from 1190-1270 AD.

Nobody knows exactly why they left their homes—drought, advancing enemies, greener pastures? But they left rather quickly. Many of these rooms high in these sandstone rocks still had pottery, tools or baskets in them when the Wetherill cowboys came across the strange and wondrous ruins of the Cliff Palace when looking for their cattle in a snowstorm back in 1888. Wonder what they must’ve thought! These ruins are so stunning that in 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt created the first national park to protect man-made structures, considered the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the world.

 

LOCATION
Located in the southwest corner of Colorado, in an area known as the Four Corners, Mesa Verde National Park is a massive place where over 600 cliff dwellings and archeological sites are scattered among the canyons and scrubby high desert lands in a 81 square miles or 52,000 acre park. Situated south of Hwy US-160W roughly halfway between Durango and Cortez, Mesa Verde is best visited on an overnight stay rather than squeezing into a long tiring day trip. Even though it looks fairly close to Durango on a map, it takes 1.5 hours to get to the park entrance and another 1.5 hours to reach the main ruin sites once inside the park.

Driving: make sure to fill up gasoline before you enter the park (or at Morefield Campground near the park entrance) and expect to drive 50 + miles once here. GPS is not reliable inside the park, so pick up a map at the Visitor’s Center. Note that vehicles longer than 25 ft aren’t allowed on Wetherill Mesa road.

Expect time consuming travel to get to the ruins—there are 2 looped roads, both one-way, that take around an hour to drive around.  Ruins are scattered around the central to south ends of the massive park. Traffic moves pretty quickly on the paved roads and there’s space to get around drivers pulled over to gawk at mule deer.

This post was created to help you get the most of your visit and plan accordingly!

 

3 REGIONS OF THE PARK

An overview of the 3 regions of the park is essential for planning where you want to go in this massive park where regions are over an hour away from each other. Descriptions are arranged as if driving through the park from the highway entrance.

Gateway:

Beginning at the turn-off for Mesa Verde National Park on Hwy 160 (between Cortez and Durango) a paved 15 mile road winds through the park leading to the Far View Lodge & Terrace. Soon after entering the park, veer left to stop at the Visitor Center. This is a must-stop for securing tickets to the cliff dwelling tours! Inside are exhibits and dioramas about the Pueblo people who once inhabited the ruins, gifts, books, clothing, and rangers on hand to answer any questions you might have about the tours or the park.

Back in the car, continue driving along the paved road you’ll first come to the official Park Entrance where you must pay the $20 fee (cars) or $10 (cyclists). Soon after, you’ll pass the road leading to Morefield Campground. (There’s a gas station there if you need to fill up—last chance!) As you keep going, the road climbs in elevation and twists around the mountains. Notice the many pull-offs for scenic overlooks. Both Montezuma Valley and Park Point Overlooks require a short hike after you park. Note that there are no cliff dwellings to see, just stunning views of the surrounding mountains in the Four Corners of the States.

At the end of this 15 mile stretch is Far View which has a namesake lodge and restaurant (dinner only) and a Terrace in an adjacent building where you can buy cafeteria style food, coffee and ice cream from 7am to 7pm in the summer, quality Native American inspired gifts from art to jewelry and clothing. Lodge and Terrace are closed from mid-October to late April.

At the Far View Area, the road forks, leading to the other 2 sections of the park, Chapin Mesa and Wetherill Mesa. Imagine a giant upside-down U with the Far View Lodge in the middle and the 2 distinct areas of Wetherill at the west end and Chapin Mesa on the east end.

Chapin Mesa

Located in the center of the park, this is the most popular section where tourists can join ranger led tours of the most visited cliff dwellings. A paved 6 mile road leads from the Far View Area to the Chapin Mesa Archeological museum where there is an introductory film and exhibits of the pottery found at the sites. If you forgot to buy tickets for tours, there’s a desk that sells limited tickets. (But don’t count on securing tickets for that day.) This can become quite crowded on summer days.

Spruce Tree cliff dwelling is located behind the museum. Walk to the platform for an overview of the site. From here it is a 1 mile hike on uneven terrain to access the ruins where you are free to wander without a tour guide! It is one of just 2 ruin sites that are open for self-guided tours (spring to fall) in the whole park. However—it is currently closed due to rock falls. May re-open in the spring of 2020 (check website for updates). It is also the only ruin site that is open year-round with ranger-led winter tours.

Hiking trails departing from here include Spruce Canyon Trail (2.4 mi) and Petroglyph Point Trail (2.4 mi). Hikers must register at the museum before embarking on your own. Keep in mind that the heat can feel oppressive and hiking at elevated altitude (7,000 feet) can make you breathless and dehydrated. Always bring water and drink more than your thirst indicates.

Driving past the museum you now have the choice of 2 loop drives: Cliff Palace & Mesa Top. Each circular drive is a 6 mile, paved, one-way loop that takes approximately 45-60 minutes to drive around with recommended stops. Major fires have spread through here, evident by the forest of charred tree skeletons along the road. Caused by lightning, the trees were first struck back in 1934, and another dozen fires have spread since then, including a devastating wildfire in 2002.

 

Cliff Palace Loop

This is THE road to take to join ranger-led tours of the 2 most popular cliff dwellings: Cliff Palace and Balcony House.

The gem of the park is Cliff Palace, a 150 room ruin high in a rocky cleft. It is visible from a concrete platform down a flight of steps from the parking lot. With 23 kivas, this cliff dwelling was likely an administrative or ceremonial center of great importance. Over 100 people lived in these adjoining rooms.

 

Cliff Palace Tours depart every 30 minutes for a one-hour walk beginning at 8am and ending with a special Twilight tour. Tickets cost $5 per person and must be reserved in person no more than 48 hours in advance from either Visitor Center— at the entrance to the park or in Durango. The nightly Twilight tour costs $20 and can be reserved online or by phone and should be reserved far in advance as the 15 limited spots fill up very quickly.

There are numerous steps to descend to access the site, and then 4 8-ft ladders to climb on the return exit. At the ruins, expect to follow the guide around the outer perimeter of the structures, walk around a kiva and peer inside one of the windows to see ancient painted design that once decorated an adobe wall.

No wandering around or climbing deeper into the alcove to explore the ruins allowed. Each guide will have a different spiel, shedding his or her insights into the history of the ancient people that lived here until 13th century. Time disappears fast on this tour. Your imagination can go into overtime staring at the intriguing ruins, making it hard to concentrate on the guide’s words.

 

Balcony House Tours
Balcony House is not visible from any observation platform. You can get a distant view from the 1.2 mile Soda Canyon hiking trail. The best time of day to take a guided tour is early or late for the best light and less crowds. Up to 50 people allowed per $5 tour. Special summer solstice and fall equinox sunrise tours are offered 4 days a year ($20, limited to 25 people).

This is a smaller more intimate feeling site that requires more active exploring. There’s a long 32 ft ladder to climb, a tunnel to crawl through and 2 shorter ladders to ascend an exposed rock face. Tourists are allowed to wander around the site once everyone makes it up the ladders. Dark passageways, niches, and open doorways make it a fun place to poke around.

 

Mesa Top Loop Drive

The other 6 mile one-way loop in Chapin Mesa. No access to any cliff dwellings, but it is the road to take for distant views of Cliff Palace from the Sun View Terrace. Another worthwhile diversion includes the short walk to the observation area that overlooks Square Tower House, a cliff dwelling that includes a distinctive 4 story structure.

It IS possible to visit here if you sign up for a 2 hour ranger-led hike offered at 8am select mornings throughout the summer. This small site is best seen at mid-morning or sunset for the most beautiful light.

At dusk when these 2 loops close for the night, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife as you drive back to your lodge room or campground. Mule deer or horses are often seen.

 

Wetherill Mesa

Less visited area of the park, this road is the western fork veering from the Far View Lodge (15 miles from the park entrance) that travels 12 miles until it reaches the Wetherill ranger station and kiosk selling drinks and snacks. At this point, cars must be left behind to continue walking or biking on the paved 6 mile trail to explore the 2 cliff dwelling sites located here: Long House & Step House. Vehicles longer than 25 feet are not permitted on this road which is only open from May to September.

Step House
This is the 2nd ruin site that is open for self-exploration! And it is the closest site located near the parking area. A mile trail leads to this site where you are free to roam. Unusual to see here is a pit house, an earlier form of housing dating from *.
Long House Loop is a paved, 6 mile trail that meanders around the high desert landscape. Short diversions off the trail lead to observation points to see Kodak House, Long House and through the archeological site of Badger House Community covering 600 years of history.

Long House Tour
Access is by guided ranger-led hike only. Offered 6 times a day in early summer, and 3 times daily from Sept to October. This is a 2 hour tour that involves a 2.25 mile hike and 2 ladders to climb at the site.

 

How to Buy Tickets for Cliff Dwelling Tours…what you came to see!

General tickets for the tours cannot be booked online. Tickets must be reserved in person, 48 hours max in advance for general cliff dwelling tours. Up to 50 people allowed per tour, yet they still sell out quickly. Get to one of these places to secure the tour time you prefer before others grab the prime spots. Early morning or late afternoon tours have better light for photography. Expect intense heat and harsh shadows at midday.

When entering Mesa Verde National Park, make a beeline for the Visitor Center to buy your tickets. Yes, there will likely be a long line. But do NOT make the mistake of driving all the way to the ruins themselves, a good 1.5 hour drive past the Visitor Center without getting your tickets or you will need to backtrack 3 hours round trip to buy them— then grrrr—- may find out that they’re all sold out anyway!

 

Visiting Mesa Verde: Know before you go! Practical Tips most don’t know:

1. You can now reserve and buy your tour tickets in Durango! You will be ahead of the hundreds of others traveling to the park on the same day and get to choose your preferred tour time before driving 1.5 hour to the park entrance. In Durango, go to the Visitor Center on Main Street. There’s usually a park ranger there to answer questions about anything from which tour to take, mobility issues, history or wildlife at the park.

2. You CAN book special tours on-line or by calling. Most people don’t know these tours even exist until arriving at visitor center, but by then it’s too late. They sell out FAST. Sometimes months in advance. This is probably the best tip I can share! Tours are limited to 10-25 people, some offered once daily and some only offered 4 times a year. Choose your date well in advance and book your spot as soon as you can. Book on the national park service website.

Twilight Tour at Cliff Palace (6:45pm or 7:15pm depending on month)
Sunrise Tour at Balcony House (June 20/21 & Sept 20/21)
Long House hike to cliff dwelling (8am select mornings)
Square Tower hike to cliff dwelling (8am select mornings)

3. General tours are inexpensive, just $5 per person for Cliff Palace or Balcony House. Do both! Cliff Palace has short ladders to climb inside protected rocks so is a better tour for those with mobility issues. And although Balcony House access sounds intimidating with a 32 ft ladder leading up an exposed rock face, it really wasn’t scary.

4. Tours are not offered year round. Check the park’s website for exact dates, but generally expect tours to open around mid-April and last until mid-October. The park remains open in the winter but Spruce Tree House is your only option to tour–but note that it has been closed since 2018 due to rock falls and no word on when it will reopen (2020?).

5. There are 2 cliff dwellings that you can explore on your own without a tour guide: Spruce Tree & Step House. (Spruce Tree is currently closed from rock falls but is due to re-open in 2020.)

6. Plan hikes for the morning. Summer days are intensely hot, especially afternoons. Surrounding rocks radiate heat in this high elevation desert canyon that is open to full sun. Higher altitude 7,000 ft elevations can cause fatigue, nausea, headaches and dehydration…killing all desire to hike. Drink more water than you’re thirsty for throughout the day. Be prepared for afternoon thunderstorms.

LODGING
Morefield Campground
Open mid-May to mid-October the 267 campsites are 1st come 1st served with a max of 14 nights. Services include groceries, Knife Edge café, take out food, firewood, showers and laundry facilities. Location is 4 miles from the park entrance. Allow 1 hour to drive to the main tour sites.

Far View Lodge
Great location! Central part of the park at the intersection forking to either Chapin Mesa or Wetherill regions of the park. Lodge and Metate restaurant are open from late April to mid-October. The 150 air-conditioned rooms in the lodge have mini-fridges, coffee makers and complimentary wifi but no TVs or cell phone reception. Some have balconies, overlooking scrubby desert landscapes in canyons beyond the road. (But note that some rooms will have views of concrete buildings or parking lots.)

Check current rates for Far View Lodge.

Check-in process can be rather long even when there’s not that many people waiting in line. Rooms may not actually be ready for use until 5pm in the busy summer months (as was our experience). The lobby doesn’t really have anywhere to hang out nor any beverages other than bottled water to purchase. You’ll have to go down the road to the Terrace if you want to sit down and have anything to eat or drink.

The park also offers 2 coach bus tours (around $55) that pick up guests from either lodging site. Both last around 4.5 hours, driving around the park to places for panoramic views or archaeological sites along Mesa Top road. One tour includes a guided visit to Cliff Palace whereas the other tour includes a guided visit to the museum and Sun Terrace. See site for more info. (Tourists can access the same places quicker, for free! other than the $5 tour to Cliff Palace.)

DINING

Far View Metate restaurant, located at the lodge, is only open for evening meals from 5-9:30pm. Dinner reservations highly recommended. Fine dining choices with windows overlooking the canyon has excellent food and prices to match. (Click on site for menu. Best food in the park!) Casual fare & alcoholic beverages available from the adjacent bar.

Far View Terrace Casual dining, cafeteria style. Omelet station, soups, sandwiches, pizza, burgers. Breakfast 7-10am, lunch 11-3pm, dinner 5-8pm (summer). Also have an espresso bar with assorted coffees and grab-n-go breakfast items.

Spruce Tree House Terrace serves lunch from 11-3:30pm. This was extremely crowded during our visit in July with no place to sit once they called out our number for food. There specialties are Navajo Tacos & BBQ.

 

HOW LONG TO STAY?
Depends on what you want to see! Bare minimum—at least one overnight. Driving time from Durango to a main ruin site alone, such as Cliff Palace, is 3 hours without stopping! So trying to squeeze in a day visit is pretty harried. (Yes, there are some 9 hour day bus tours from Durango for $140 that include a visit to Cliff Palace, but you’ll also spend 6 hours riding in the bus).

Having spent 2 nights here in July, this is what I would plan differently next time for a 2 night stay.

An active 2 night Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive to Mesa Verde. Stop at Visitor Center to secure tickets (unless you bought them in Durango). Check into your room at the Far View Lodge at 3pm. Drive 45 minutes to Cliff Palace Loop and take a guided Cliff Palace tour in the late afternoon or at Twilight. Drive back to the lodge and enjoy fine dining at Metate restaurant.

Day 2: Stop at the Terrace to grab breakfast items before driving to Wetherill Mesa. Take the 8am guided hike to Long House cliff dwelling or self-guided wander around the Step House, both in Wetherill Mesa. Ambitious can do both! Or walk/bike along the paved Long House loop for distant overviews of the cliff dwellings.
Drive back to Far View and have lunch in the Terrace cafeteria. Down time to chill in the heat of the day. Terrace has a large sitting area for conversing, playing cards, or catching up on social media, coffee and ice cream counters, and a nice gift shop too.
Drive to Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum. Watch the introductory film (don’t see when you’re sleepy) and walk through the exhibits before heading outside to see the Spruce House from the observation platform. When it re-opens hike the ½ mile trail to explore the Spruce Tree House ruins on your own.
Continue driving south around the Cliff Palace Loop and take a late afternoon Balcony House tour. Finish driving the loop, then head south to take Mesa Top Loop for sunset views of the two main cliff dwellings. Follow signs to park and walk to the Square Tower House overlook, and then drive a little further to the Sun Point or Sun Temple observation areas for shots of the Cliff House across the canyon. Overnight at the lodge.

Day 3: Join the 8am guided hike to Square Tower House which lasts 2 hours. Stop at the Spruce Tree Terrace in Chapin Mesa or back up to Far View Terrace for an early lunch before a 3 hour journey back to Durango.

 

Those are my tips for visiting Mesa Verde. Know before you go, practical advice, can make a huge difference in getting the most of your trip! Hungry, hot, thirsty kids stuck in a car verses happy travelers who know to bring drinks/snacks, what to do and where to explore!

You might like to read 10 Tips for Photographing the cliff dwellings on the previous post…

Recommended Stuff:
Photography: reflector, ND filter, zoom telephoto lens for distant views of the ruins, wide angle lenses for tours.
General: cooler for drinks and snacks, ultra lightweight daypack, cooling neck scarf, hat, comfortable walking shoes.
Don’t forget to grab a MAP at the Visitor Center when you arrive.

 

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