Located in Southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is one of the most incredible National Parks in the US and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is known for its Puebloan architectural sites, which span hundreds of years of human civilization in the region.
The park is most famous for its cliff dwelling sites of which more than 600 exist within the park. While visitors can only see a fraction of these sites, visiting them is one of the most incredible experiences in this area of the world.
The park is large but also compact in some regards. There are several sections to the park that include various sites you can explore. We break down many of the top places to explore below.
Where to Stay for Mesa Verde National Park
The park is large, and there is even a hotel in the park. Most locations outside the park take about an hour to reach the top highlights within the National Park. We break down some of the best options in the area for different price points. I’ve been to this region quite a few times now, so I’ve gotten to experience a great variety of lodgings.
Hotels
- Far View Lodge: The only hotel option within the National Park. It has comfortable rooms and a restaurant within the hotel. You are also close to other dining options within the park as well.
- Holiday Inn Cortez: One of the nicest hotels close to the park. Located in nearby Cortez, the rooms are clean and close to several restaurants.
- Quality Inn Cortez: The exterior has seen better days, but my room was quite nice and very clean. One of the better-priced options, too.
- Strater Hotel: Durango: Gorgeous hotel with a fantastic location in Durango. Further from the park, however.
Camping
- Morefield Campground: 267 sites: Reservations Recommended. The park’s only campground, located about 4 miles from the entrance. A cafe, camp store, gas, and other amenities are available.
- Target Tree Campground: 28 sites: Reservations Recommended. Located 7 miles east of Mancos, it’s a good alternative to a park site.
- Ancient Cedars RV Park: Great local option for tents and RVs. They also have available cabins if you prefer.
Cliff Dwelling Tour Tickets
Ticket Site: Recreation.gov
The best thing to do in the park is to take one of the ranger-led hikes through the various cliff dwellings. We’ll cover individual cliff dwellings later, but this is the most important one to plan ahead of time.
Many of the most impressive sites open to the public are ONLY accessible via ranger tours. You may catch a glimpse from an overlook, but nothing compares to getting close and personal with the site.
Tickets are released two weeks prior to the tour date at 8 am Mountain Time. For some of the most popular, you must be ready precisely on time to try to purchase tickets. Read our guide on cliff-dwelling tours for more information.
Mesa Top Ruins
The Mesa Top Ruin Loop houses some of the most significant sites in Mesa Verde. Here, you’ll see two of the best examples of cliff dwellings (balcony house and cliff palace) that you can explore on ranger-guided tours. There are several overlooks to visit more. This area has more cliff dwellings than some of the other living situations and features most of the sites people come to Mesa Verde to explore.
Cliff Palace
This incredible Cliff dwelling has over 150 rooms and 23 kivas and, at its height, housed more than 100 people. It is the largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde and the United States.
The palace is best seen as part of a ranger-led cliff-dwelling tour. Since this site is popular, tours run nearly every 30 minutes during peak visit times. You can also catch views of the palace from the adjacent overlook.
The site is awe-inspiring, and you should not miss it during your trip to the park. Be sure to check out our cliff-dwelling tour guide for booking information.
Balcony House
Located close to Cliff Palance, Balcony House shows you a very different cliff-dwelling. This one is smaller and more compact and more similar to sizes of many of the dwellings.
You can visit this site as part of a ranger-led tour, and we recommend this option. Balcony House is not viewable from the main road (but you can see it from the nearby Soda Canyon Overlook).
Getting to Balcony House is half the adventure. You’ll need to travel down several stairs and then up a large wooden ladder. This part will be the most difficult for those with some fear of heights. Of note, everyone on our tour, including the prior one, successfully climbed it.
The payoff is worth it. The site is incredible and feels more personal than the above cliff palace. Be sure to plan booking two weeks ahead of your trip. Check our guide for more information.
Hemenway House Overlook
Built in the 1200s, this 26-room cliff dwelling was once part of a larger community with other dwellings, including Balcony House. The overlook gives you a great view over this beautiful dwelling. Unfortunately, this dwelling is not visitable by tourists (only archaeologists), but the overlook does afford a great view of the site.
The site is named Mary Tileston Hemenway, who was instrumental in funding the first Southwestern scientific archeological expedition. Even though she never visited Mesa Verde, she did work to protect other sites in the region.
Cliff Canyon Overlook
This is one of the best overlooks in the Mesa Ruins Loop. This gives you views of several cliff dwellings in the area. You can catch glimpses of Mummy House, Sun Temple, Sun Point, Site 634, and house of many windows (although you can get a better view at the overlook below)
A map is located at the overlook to help you locate the cliff dwellings you are looking at.
House of Many Windows
This is an overlook for a small cliff dwelling along the mesa ruins loop. While called windows here, it’s a misnomer as the “windows” are doors into the various rooms you can see in the cliff dwelling.
The dwelling has 15 rooms and ruins of a kiva. It was inhabited in the 1200s, based on evidence from the site.
Trying Fry Bread
At the end of the Mesa Top Ruins Loop, you’ll see a small offshoot that takes you out of the park and into the Southern Ute Reservation. There are several shops, tourist information, and a small fry bread stand here.
If you’ve never had Navajo fry bread, this is an excellent opportunity to try some within the park. Navajo fry bread has a bit of a sad history as it was made from the ingredients provided by the US government when tribes were resettled on reservations. However, it has come to symbolize many things, including cultural pride.
Traditionally, it’s served with salt, which is the main option they offer, or you can try a bit sweeter with honey or other toppings.
If you are interested, there’s also a small tourist info here where you can get information on Ute-led tours to see other Cliff Dwellings that are only open as part of these tours. Prices are very reasonable.
Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
Distance: 1.2 miles miles | Type: Out & Back | Difficulty: Easy
This quick and easy hike is a great way to get views over the canyon on the Mesa Top Ruins Loop. It has several outlook viewpoints that give you slightly different views of the landscape.
It is also the only overlook from which you can see Balcony House (without going on the tour), as the road sits on top of the site.
It’s an easy hike, generally taking less than 30 minutes to complete. The trailhead is about ½ miles past the Balcony House parking.
Roadside Overlooks
There are plenty of overlooks within the park. You’ll pass several overlooks along the main roads as you drive through the park. These include Montezuma Valley, Mancos Valley, and Geologic, among others. These give you great views of the area and the surrounding mountains and valleys.
I included these main overlooks as one overall item. If you want some great expansive views, you should stop at a couple along your drive.
Far View Sites
This area was one of the most densely populated in what is now Mesa Verde National Park. Archaeologists have identified nearly 50 villages inhabited between 900 and 1300 AD.
The sites here are mostly early mesa-top housing. Residences were built hundreds of years before the cliff dwellings, and many remained on the site even after folks moved into the cliff alcoves. The area has several houses, including Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Megalithic House, and Coyote Village. Be sure also to check out Far View Tower and the Far View Reservoir here.
Mesa Top Loop
The Mesa Top Loop has several great sites to explore. It’s an off-shoot from the other Mesa Ruins Loop. Here, you’ll find a series of pit, mesa top, and cliff dwelling sites. In many ways, this is the perfect place to explore, as you’ll get to view different eras of Mesa Verde’s ancestral residency.
The Mesa Top Road is open from 8:00 am to sunset daily.
Pit House
The first stop along the Mesa Top Loop, the Pit House, showcases a pithouse example from 600 AD. Pit houses were the first residences built in this region, and folks lived in them for hundreds of years before moving to the latter Cliff Dwellings.
Pit Houses were very laborious to construct. Primitive tools were used to dig down into the hard earth, which made the houses cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The house here is a great example of the pit houses throughout the park and region.
Square Tower House
Square Tower House features the tallest structure of any cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde National Park. The multi-story “tower” is the highlight of the site and its namesake. There are discussions on whether it was a singular tower, as it is likely part of a larger structure that may have been stepped levels to reach those heights.
One of my favorite site features is the eagle’s nest area, which requires scaling a cliff to enter the observation rooms. It is believed these were used to scan the horizon for potential dangers. Additionally, there are some amazing petroglyphs and the most intact kiva roof. This roof was used to help reconstruct kivas in other dwellings.
This is the hardest ticket in the park. Only 10 people can visit the site daily, and tickets go immediately after release. It is also the most intimate of the cliff dwellings and my favorite so far. I loved that it felt so personal with such a small group. The size of the site makes larger groups unlikely in the future.
You’ll need to traverse a ladder to access the site. The descent was a bit scary, so consider that when visiting. Everyone on my tour did, however, traverse successfully.
Pithouses & Pueblos
This stop shows several different pithouses built in this region between 700 and 950 AD. This shows some more advanced, better excavating and construction than the first site of pithouses.
This area is a loop, so check out the various archaeological sites. You’ll see the remains of several villages that existed in the area.
Mesa Top Sites
The Mesa Top Sites stop is a set of dwellings built between 900 – 1100 AD. You’ll see several examples of Mesa Top dwellings, which show different building techniques refined over hundreds of years of dwelling and construction.
You’ll see the remains of several buildings. The impressive thing to note is the kiva, one of the first you see among the early building sites on this mesa top loop.
Sun Point Pueblo
This Pueblo consists of a large Kiva constructed at the center of the Pueblo. This was thought to be one of the last mesa-top pueblos to be built in Mesa Verde. Consisting of a 30-room village, kivas and tower. It is believed to be built in the 1200s, although exact dating is tough since it lacked roof beams and other common materials used in dating.
Based on pottery found in the area, it is estimated to have only been occupied for ten years—a strangely short time given how much work went into its construction.
Sun Point View
Sun Point View is an amazing overlook with views over several cliff dwellings in the area. I read that you can see up to 30 dwellings in the cliff alcoves from here. I was not able to spot that many. But maybe on future trips.
I would love to hear how many you are able to see from here!
Oak Tree House
Oak Tree House is one of the larger cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. It was part of a larger community with nearby cliff dwellings.
This overlook gives you a great view of Oak Tree House’s buildings, kivas, and landscape. The houses in its community are also some of the largest in the area. It is incredible to see how connected the various communities were. A ranger guide mentioned that different families would specialize in specific skills and then engage in healthy trade with the nearby cliff dwellings.
Fire Temple & New Fire House
This stop provides you with an overlook of the Fire Temple and new Fire House. This is a beautiful cliff-dwelling example you can see at the other end of the canyon. Given the location here, you are afforded a fantastic view over this dwelling.
Be sure to notice the big plaza at the front of the Fire Temple. It is similar to plazas you’ll see in modern Puebloan communities.
Sun Temple
Given the size and orientation of the site, this area is classified as a ceremonial structure. Its scale showcases the labor that went into its construction. Based on the lack of roof beams and other architectural features, it’s believed it was never completed.
The sun temple is on a separate small loop just past the Fire Temple. Adjacent to the Sun Temple are some great views of the Cliff Palace across the canyon. The best views are right past the entrance of the Sun Temple along the parking log.
Weatherill Mesa
Named for Richard Wetherill, a Colorado Rancher who was an amateur archaeologist credited with rediscovering some of the sites in this region. He’s also credited with selecting the term Anasazi (Navajo for ancient enemies) to describe the ancient people of this land.
The Mesa is on the western side of Mesa Verde National Park, about 30 minutes from the road fork (near Far View Terrace Gift Shop). It houses some of the best cliff and mesa-top dwellings in the park.
Note: Weatherill Mesa is Closed for the 2024 season
Step House
Located at the entrance to Weatherill Mesa, Step House is one of my favorite sites to visit in Mesa Verde. One of the best parts is that you can visit it independently without needing a ranger guide!
Step House is unique in showcasing different building styles on the same site. You’ll see examples of the early pit houses and the latter cliff-dwellings adjacent to one another. Nowhere else do you get this view of hundreds of years of dwelling in a single location.
The site is open for day visits only, as rangers need to be present to monitor visitors and provide information. So be sure to check the time, as the site closes around 3:45 daily. It takes about 45 minutes to visit the site, including walking ¾ of a mile trail.
Badger House Community
The Badger House community consists of four sites interconnected by gravel paths: the Badger House, pithouse, developmental pueblo village, and Two Raven House.
The visit to all four consists of a 1-mile loop connecting the four sites. The site is about 0.7 miles from the Weatherill Mesa parking area.
Long House
The largest cliff dwelling site in Weatherill Mesa, Long House, nearly rivals Cliff Palace in size and scale. At its peak, it contained nearly 150 rooms, 21 kivas, and storage areas and housed approximately 150 – 175 persons.
Based on its architecture, several areas of Long House appear to have communal gathering areas. Those places were likely meeting points for visitors from nearby villages to trade or hold events. The plazas were believed to hold dances, and their large size and stature made them a significant site for cliff-dwellers.
Long House is one of the park’s highlights. It can be visited via a 2-hour ranger-guided tour, which requires a 2.25-mile round-trip hike and navigating a set of ladders at the site. The site is also viewable from an overlook, a bit of a walk away from the trail to Long House.
Nordenskold Site #16
The Nordenskold Site is named for Gustaf Nordenskiöld, a Swedish scholar who visited the Mesa Verde area in the late 19th century. He was famed for exploring the various sites and often photographing them. Multiple sites, such as Square Tower House, bear his initials and a # signifying his site number (Square Tower House is #8).
This short trail, which spurs off the main Long Mesa Trail, leads to an overlook where you can view Site #16. The trail is 1.7 miles round trip from the Weatherill Mesa Parking area.
Long House Loop
This 5-mile trail takes you all along the Top of Weatherill Mesa. You can spur off the trail to visit sites such as Badger House, Nordenskold Site #16, Kodiak House Overlook, and others. You’ll get some lovely views over the canyons as well.
The paved trail makes it an easy way to explore the area. It’s a nice hike, and some areas furthest from the parking area are visited less often.
Horses
One of the unique sites in Weatherill Mesa is the grazing horses you’ll see in the area. You probably won’t notice these anywhere else in the park. The horses are owned by folks from the adjacent Southern Ute Reservation, who are allowed to graze their horses in parts of the park.
They are not wild animals, but their presence is a welcome sight for visitors. I really enjoyed spotting several grazing around the Mesa.
Knife Edge Trail
Distance: 2 miles | Type: Out & Back | Difficulty: Easy
Located close to the Morefield Campground, the Knife Edge Trail is easy for most hikers. The trail follows a historic park road built in 1914. Maintaining the road proved costly and prohibitive, so it’s now a lovely hiking trail.
The trail is mostly flat with a easy going ascent at times. It also has some lovely views along the trail too.
Park Point
Featuring the best views in the park, Park Point sits at the highest point in the park. At 8,572 feet (2,612 m) above sea level, you’ll get great views over the area and the high peaks of the San Juans and deserts of New Mexico.
There is plenty of parking and picnic tables near Park Point. It’s a short 0.2-mile round trip hike up to the fire tower and an additional short walk to two viewpoints. The tower is occasionally manned, but it wasn’t during my recent trip here.
Point Lookout Trail
Distance: 2.2 miles | Type: Out & Back | Difficulty: Moderate
Located close to the Amphitheater near the Morefield Campground. The Point Lookout Trail is a moderate trail with a quick ascent up switchbacks for views of the San Juan and La Plata Mountains.
The trail is not one of the more popular trails, so for much of the day, you may find yourself here alone. It also lacks shade along much of the trail, so we recommend going early or late in the day.
Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum
Built between 1922-25, the Museum is one of the oldest buildings in the park. The museum was built in the style of buildings in the region and was made to blend well with the landscape.
The museum houses many artifacts from the park, including pottery, tools, and historical exhibits. It’s seen better days, and it’s been going through a multi-year revitalization with some great plans for the space.
The current museum has several exhibits still on display, a movie (worth watching), an information desk, and a store. It is part of a larger complex of buildings that includes a cafe, several more gift shops, and administrative buildings.
Spruce Tree House
One of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in the entire park. Currently, the park is only open to view from the overlook. Talking with the rangers, it appears that the rock overhang is at risk of crumbling (something that they’ve known and tried to fix over time). They are working on a more permanent fix for the near future.
From the viewpoint, you get a great view of the cliff dwelling, and it’s an easy walk from the museum. There are also regular ranger-led talks adjacent to the museum as well. When the site is open, it’s one of the best places to visit. It is one of the most complete sites and one that was visitable without a ranger-led guided hike.
Petroglyph Trail
Distance: 2.4-mile miles | Type: Loop | Difficulty: Moderate
This is one of my favorite non-cliff dwelling hikes in the park. The Petroglyph trail takes you on a 2.4-ish mile loop through the rocky terrain for a great payoff at a petroglyph panel. The panel is one of the best in the park I’ve seen (but a bit lacking compared to some other parks in the region).
The hike is rocky and uneven, so be sure to wear suitable footwear. I nearly rolled my ankle in a few places along the trail. The recommended route is counter-clockwise as a small section near the petroglyph panel is more difficult on the descent.
The trailhead is adjacent to the Spruce Canyon house overlook. The panel is located about 1.4 miles away if you are heading counterclockwise. The trail levels off and is flat for much of the last mile.
Spruce Canyon Trail
Distance: 2.4 miles miles | Type: Loop | Difficulty: Moderate
Located near the petroglyph trail, the Spruce Canyon is another option for those wanting to hike in the area. It doesn’t have the payoff of the petroglyph trail, but you will be afforded beautiful landscape views.
The area is more shaded than the petroglyph trail, so if you are looking for something during hot sunny days, it’s a better option than the above petroglyph trail. In my opinion, the petroglyph trail is a better option if you only have time for one trail.
The trail forks off the petroglyph trail if you head counter-clockwise from the spruce tree house overlooking. The trail is less popular than the petroglyph, so it’s great if you want more solitude.
Cedar Tree Tower
Cedar Tree Tower is an interesting site within the park. It is one of the few like it that you can visit as a tourist. The tower and adjacent kiva were built between 1100 and 1300 AD. The actual purpose of the tower is unknown, but it appears to be a group site for congregation.
Nearby, you can explore the short ½ mile Farming Terrace Trail. The trail is a great way to see some of the terrace farming practices used by the native Puebloan people.
Wildlife
I didn’t realize how much wildlife there is within the park. You can see mule deer, bears, coyotes, gray foxes, mountain lions, and more. I’ve seen a few examples of big wildlife in the park, including the bear pictured above.
Beyond that, there are bird-watching opportunities, including several species of owls. You’ll also catch sight of plenty of reptiles in the park as well. Quite a few lizards dark between the stones as you explore the trails and dwellings in the park.
Special Events
The park often has special events, especially during the popular summer months. From special talks from rangers and local archaeologists, stargazing events, performances, and more. I was blessed to catch some talks and a fantastic dance in the amphitheater.
Check with the visitor center near the park’s entrance to learn what may be happening that day. They’ll have the latest information.
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