what to do in mesa verde national park

Thus, it is important to do your research on what is open and secure tour reservations before visiting Mesa Verde National Park. The best time for this Colorado itinerary is in the summer and early fall, when all of the scenic drives and hiking trails are open. While we havent stayed at this particular location, weve always had a good experience with Hampton Inn and other Hilton brand hotels. If you will be visiting Colorado when the ski slopes are open, you will have to modify this itinerary, since it is written for the summer and early fall, when the hiking trails are open and the scenic drives are open. There are sixty mountain peaks over 12,000 feet and many of these top out over 13,000 feet. PRO TRAVEL TIP: Consider packing a picnic dinner so you can spend more time on the dunes. Mesa Verde National Park entry fee is $30 per vehicle and is valid up to 7 days or you can use your America the Beautiful National Parks Pass. Day 3: Estes Park or Sky Pond (depending on weather) Day 4: Estes Park or Sky Pond. Highly rated restaurants include TAPAteria (a Mediterranean wine bar), Pizzeria Rustica, Front Range Barbecue, Paravicinis (Italian cuisine), and Jake and Tellys Greek Cuisine. Here, a one-mile loop takes you to four excavated mesa top villages where youll learn more about the Ancestral Pueblo life and culture. If you have more than 10 days for this Colorado itinerary, here is where I recommend putting your extra time. 2. Is there food available in Mesa Verde National Park? The trail is gated, and registration is required either at the Chapin Mesa Museum or at the trailhead. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. From US-50 in Caon City, turn right onto Skyline Drive. Although the talks have moved from around a campfire to the Morefield Amphitheater, the tradition continues. These routes include driving directions and attractions, as well as restaurant and campground recommendations. #1: The Direct Route. NPS.gov Park Home Plan Your Visit Nearby Attractions Nearby Attractions to Visit The following links will help you find other things to see and do near Mesa Verde National Park. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Earth Trekkers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising & linking to Amazon.com. Trailers are prohibited beyond the Wetherill campground area. You can also do this road trip in an RV. They have a small food menu, consisting mostly of bar-style appetizers and a couple of sandwiches. On the Road: 200 miles, 5 hours (not including Loveland Pass or Mount Evans). Additionally, touring Long House requires climbing two 15-foot ladders. SCENIC DRIVES IN COLORADO: Pikes Peak, the Million Dollar Highway, and the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway is just a short list of the scenic drives you can do in Colorado. There also is an information desk and a small snack bar. The Far View Visitor Center features exhibits of Native American jewelry, pottery, and basket displays. The At Sun Temple overlook, you can view the Cliff Palace cliff dwelling on the other side of the canyon. Winter is a quiet and beautiful time to visit Mesa Verde National Park. You can find good Hilton Honors discounts or AAA discounts for a hotel there. You dont have to walk far into the dunefield to find the perfect dune. Im from the UK and would love to come over with my kids and husband summer 2024. We would pick up sandwiches at Subway in Alamosa and have dinner on the dunes. We find we can get the best price that way. 1. There are a couple of vehicle restrictions inside the park that are important to note. There is a lot to see and do in Colorado, and if you want to visit all four national parks, ideally you need at least 10 days. Beyond the Chapin Mesa visitor facilities are two scenic loop drives, which are among the top attractions in Mesa Verde National Park. This is the only way to get to these beautiful and remote sites. And, if we had discovered it earlier in our stay, we might have gone another time or two. Still, if you are unable to get tour tickets, this is a great opportunity to walk through one of these mind-blowing structures. This will make checking out much faster and easier. Sky Pond is a lot more fun, and prettier, so it will keep your kids entertained along the trail (Guadalupe Peak is nice but it can feel like a slog at times). On this drive you get to see Longs Peak, the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. Read our article about the 15 Best National Parks, where we narrow down the long list into 15 must-see parks. When there is a big variation in temperature (on the trip we are doing right now, it was fall in New Zealand and Australia, so it was chilly, and ended with a week in Samoa, which is tropical heat) we pack more clothing. When you do this, Denver International Airport will be the closer of the two airports. Many people tend to overlook this site, and you'll likely have a good chance to experience the dwelling without crowds. This Colorado itinerary focuses on the four national parks in Colorado with several other notable destinations. If you are craving pizza or pasta, we recommend Lotsa Pasta & Thatza Pizza (Tim and Tyler liked their meatball sandwich). There are two locations to base yourself when visiting Great Sand Dunes National Park: just outside of the park and in the town of Alamosa. MESA VERDE: Learn about the best things to do and how to plan your visit in our Guide to Mesa Verde National Park. Proven . In some ways, its a smaller, less crowded version of the Grand Canyon. But visiting Mesa Verde National Park is about more than just touring the cliff dwellings. In the afternoon, drive Trail Ridge Road, visit the overlooks, and walk the short but strenuous Alpine Ridge Trail. We make great use of our free night certificates. For updated hours of operation and park conditions, visit the official website. The structures ranged in size from one-room granaries to villages . This quickly won us over as one of the best local breweries weve ever visited. And thats why we dont like comparing parks to each other. The summit of this pass sits at 12,095 feet. In our experience, tours sell out quickly, so we recommend booking your tickets as soon as they are released. Vehicles longer than 25 feet and heavier than 8,000 pounds are not permitted on this road. If you like the idea of staying at a resort that has a pool, take a look at Garden of the Gods Club and Resort. Important Links for the Colorado National Parks. Mug House Tour. The Manitou Incline is a brutal stair climb to a viewpoint over Colorado Springs. The total distance is 2.4 miles. The best national park in Colorado depends on your interests. The Cliff Palace was thought to be an administrative and ceremonial center and home to about 100 people. In 2021, 4.4 million people visited this park. Starting in Aspen, drive Highway 82 east towards Granite. Take I-70 to the Peak to Peak Scenic Byway. Most likely, you will have to give up sandboarding on the dunes, since you might not be able to get to the rental facility before closing time on day 2. Just beside the museum, you can enjoy a view of Spruce Tree House, which is the best-preserved cliff dwelling in the park. As noted above, you cannot currently tour this site. How many days do you need in Mesa Verde National Park? Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado is famous for its 600 Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, plus additional pithouses and pueblos, all built between 550-1300AD. Be sure to ask for these to make sure you have accurate information on what is open during your visit. The paved path takes you up to a fire lookout tower with sweeping views in all directions. Located just off the highway, the Visitor & Research Center houses exhibits on the Ancestral Puebloans that lived here more than 1,000 years ago and their way of life. Cliff Palace Loop: On the eastern loop of the road are the Cliff Palace and the Balcony House. Your email address will not be published. The Balcony House, with its 40 rooms, is built into a wide, low recess on the wall of Soda Canyon. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. Still, Skyscanner is a great place to start. We had a great experience with them in terms of refunding deposits when COVID hit and will continue to use them.Click here to search for a vacation rental. The actual ruins are 30-60 minute drive from the main entrance and Spruce Tree House will take at least 1 hour, plus 1 hour at the Museum. My 71 year old husband hiked to the top of the dunes at Great Sand Dunes NP. You will stay here for one night on this Colorado itinerary. Thankfully, the road up Pikes Peak was open, as was Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, although driving in snow on that road is not for the faint of heart. Today, you will spend the morning and midday in Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We would ideally like to hire a RV /motorhome . If you click the star next to the title of the map, this map will be added to your Google Maps account. You will backtrack to Durango and then take US-550 north. On this Colorado itinerary, you will visit Great Sand Dunes twice (this afternoon and tomorrow morning), and that adds up to over 2 hours of driving if you stay in Alamosa. Enjoy hand-curated trail maps, along with reviews and photos from nature lovers like you. We have even rented from Hertz overseas in both Slovenia and Croatia.Click here to book a rental car. The park is open from 5 am to 6 pm. If this is your first time, it takes some practice to sandboard down the dunes, and theres a good chance that you will end the day with sand in your hair, clothingit gets into everything. Aspen is very dear to usTim proposed to me here on the ski slopes 25 years ago. An estimated 4,000 protected archaeological sites are found in the park. In the morning, drive to Denver International Airport or Colorado Springs Airport. We have only traveled around by car/SUV and stayed in hotels. The park covers 82 square miles and stretches over a desert landscape with multiple canyons. You will stay in Estes Park for 3 nights. Thank, Hello Kim. While in Mesa Verde National Park, please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trails, pack out what you bring to the hiking trails, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife. Be sure to stop at as many of these as time allows. Were coming from New Zealand in August/September so really appreciated all of the information and advice that you provided about visiting the cliff dwellings. more information on current conditions www.blm.gov/learn/interpretive-centers/anasazi-heritage-center, www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/canyons-of-the-ancients. Parking limited to vehicles under 25 feet (7.5 m). Size: 52,074 acres. This gives you one full day in the park, which is just enough time to visit the highlights. What is the least visited national park in Colorado? (Disclaimer: When we link to places you can buy our stuff or places we stayed, we are using special codes which earn us commissions on the salesat no additional cost to you. Dont limit your time so much that you cant enjoy it. Note: Both the Lodge and Terrace are only open from late April to late October. Tour a Cliff Dwelling Cliff Palace Grant Ordelheide No trip to Mesa Verde is complete without attending a ranger-led tour of an Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling. You will spend the morning in Mesa Verde National Park and in the afternoon, you will drive north to Montrose. Lake of Glass, Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado Itinerary. The byway runs along the eastern edge of Rocky Mountain National Park and Colorados Front Range. Our Colorado road trip was in July and that is when all of these photos were taken. On this road trip, all of the roads you will drive are either paved roads or gravel roads that are suitable for standard cars, so a standard 2WD car will do just fine. We make great use of our free night certificates from our Hilton Honors American Express.Click here to book a Hilton property.If there are no Hilton properties available, we use TripAdvisor to read reviews and book the hotel. As we walked through the various rooms, rangers provided historical details about the structure and the Ancestral Puebloan people. We saw more snow on this trip than we did all of last winter in Connecticut, and even did some snow hiking at Maroon Bells and Rocky Mountain National Part. Cortez offers a host of excellent accommodations, dining and shopping opportunities, as well as 294 acres of parks, several recreation areas and an abundance of activities. And thats exactly why we visit Americas national parks. Tours require descending uneven steps and climbing four ladders. If you love hiking and mountainous landscapes, Rocky Mountain National Park is the best park to visit in Colorado. Mesa Verde, Spanish for 'green table," is the largest archaeological preserve in the U.S. Just across the road, the Far View Terrace contains a gift shop, coffee shop and cafe. Also, there are some high mountain passes in Colorado that also dont open until this time, or even into June in some cases. Since this is in the middle of the itinerary, this is a nice spot to slow down and relax. Typically, we like to do stuff on our own. What is the average temperature for that time of the year? We rented sandboards at Kristi Mountain Sports in Alamosa. A less crowded but equally . We particularly enjoyed the Moroccan-style Lamb Meatballs and Mesa View Ranch Yak Burger. Click here to search for a hotel.We recently partnered with Stay22 to add interactive maps to each of our destination posts. How to Drive Skyline Drive: Skyline Drive is a narrow, one way road. Additionally, its about a 1.25-hour drive from the cliff dwellings on Wetherill Mesa to those on Chapin Mesa. We decided to stay in Cortez and are really glad that we did! As with most parks, your first stop at Mesa Verde National Park should be the visitor center. From our room, we could look up at the ski slopes. Thanks again and cheers! This is one of the more accessible tours of the cliff dwellings. For any length of time longer than that, we pack for 7 to 10 days and do laundry as needed. Durango is a larger town that is about 35 miles east. Here is a sample 2 day itinerary for Rocky Mountain National Park: Add more time for Mesa Verde National Park. So, you have to decide if you want more amenities with a longer driving time, or a close proximity to the national park. You will stay in Colorado Springs for two nights. Learn more here. You can click the check marks to hide or show layers. Yet, about 1,400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the Four Corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. Two, getting historical insight really makes the place come alive. I cant find any recommendations for rental companies on the Internet. Would you mind sharing around when you made this trip/what time of year the photos were taken? As you drive in on the main park road, there are four different overlooks that allow you to get out and enjoy the view over the valleys below. I originally had planned 3 nights here, with enough time to set up one day, then see North Rim one day and South Rim another day. An access road leads to a parking area, from which a walking trail leads to the Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Mummy Lake, Megalith House, Far View Tower, and Far View Ditch. As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. First, trailers and towed vehicles are not permitted past Morefield Campground, which is located 4 miles off the highway. At 11,990 feet, Loveland Pass is the highest mountain pass in Colorado that stays open during the winter season. There is a more scenic route, where you can add on the very short but thrilling Skyline Drive in Caon City. The best time to visit the park is from May to October. The park is located at an elevation between 7,000 and 5,500 feet and in the winter, roads can be closed due to snowfall. This is the last big driving day of the trip! In the summer, high temperatures frequently climb into the 90s. I have most of the itinerary mapped out, but would love your advice on one section, please. If you did not get a map at the visitor center, be sure to get one when you pass through the entrance station. If you prefer culture and history, Mesa Verde National Park is the top park to visit. Rocky MountainNational Park Travel Guide. Be sure to download the audio tour, A Pueblo Perspective on Mesa Verde, before arriving as cell service in the park is spotty at best. At the end of these two roads are where you will find the cliff dwellings. You really cant go wrong either way, but if there is another hike in RMNP that looks interesting to you, you could add it on. Or, if possible, stop at the visitor the afternoon before. Thanks so much for this blog post on visiting the Mesa Verde. There are wider areas to allow other vehicles to pass. Great Sand Dunes in the late afternoon | Colorado Itinerary. Loveland Pass is a high mountain pass that is located south of I-70, between Vail and Idaho Springs. On this itinerary, you wont have much time in the park, so you will have to start early and plan out what you want to do. Day 1: Mesa Verde National Park Make your home base in the town of Cortez, just an hour from Mesa Verde National Park. Point Lookout Trail: One of the most impressive viewpoints in the park is from the Point Lookout trail. To get here, follow the main road until mile marker 15, turn off and follow a steep, winding road downward for 12 miles. This park preserves the ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings and archeological sites that are hundreds of years old. If you want to go sandboarding and sand sledding, you need to have a sandboard or sand sled that is made specifically for use on the sand. If you are just visiting for the day, a large trailer parking lot is available near the entrance gates. Drive South Rim Drive, visiting the overlooks along the way. They offer suites so this is a hotel to consider if you are traveling as a family. The trail is gated, and registration is required either at the Chapin Mesa Museum or at the trailhead. TIMED ENTRY PERMIT SYSTEM: To visit Rocky Mountain National Park from May 26 to October 22, 2023, you will need to reserve a permit in advance. Just a short way down Chapin Mesa Road, the Far View Sites Complex provides the opportunity for self-guided exploration of a mesa top community. Finally, be sure to allow yourself enough time to see and do everything you are interested in. Winter temperatures are typically mild, though it can snow as early as October and as late as May. 3. I wanted to get your opinion- would you keep the days as written or spend only 2 nights in Gunnison, and 6 in Estes Park? As a general rule, we book with Hertz for rental cars. We took a slight detour to Four Corners on our way to Mesa Verde NP, figuring it was unlikely we would pass that way again, Took a couple of days of R&R at Aspen. It takes just 15 minutes to drive to park entrance. In this audio tour, a park ranger who is a direct descendant of the people who lived here shares information and stories about the sites along the Mesa Top Loop drive. A maze of paved trails weaves between red and pink sandstone rocks. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a highly underrated national park. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, go to Your Places, click Maps, and you will see this map on your list. Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home from 600 to 1300 CE. Many archeological sites are accessible within just a few steps of overlooks or parking areas. Finally, Wetherill Mesa Road has steep grades and sharp curves. This Colorado road trip is written as a 10-day itinerary. There are also many great restaurants to choose from in Snowmass. Spruce Canyon Trail: If you are wondering what it is like down at the bottom of all the canyons you've been peering into, consider the Spruce Canyon hike. Some members of our group is have fear of heights. The site was abandoned in the 14th century. PRO TRAVEL TIP: Independence Pass is generally open from Memorial Day to late October depending on snowfall. View Itinerary The entire loop is about 5 miles but there are several places where you can cut it short. Note: If you have a reservation for an early tour, youll need to go straight there and stop at the visitor center as you exit the park. About the timing of Black Canyon of the Gunnison. You must reserve your time slot in advance. Check park conditions, road closures, and trail conditions as you plan your trip and just before you go. The downside of the summer months is that this is when Colorado is a very busy place to visit. Additionally, while the hike down (and back up) isnt easy, the trail is not quite as difficult as the one down to Long House. Julie, I am planning a trip early September this year to Colorado and have 5/6 days time for the visit. Spend the morning of day 3 in Great Sand Dunes and in the afternoon, drive to Cortez and Mesa Verde National Park.
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