We absolutely love exploring Colorado and this national park blew us away! Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwest Colorado about 50 minutes west of Durango. Established in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt, Mesa Verde was acknowledged for the protection of the incredible cliff dwellings left behind by the Ancestral Pueblo people. It was the first national park established to protect man-made structures.

The Ancestral Pueblo people lived in this area of Colorado long before Europeans explored North America.  They lived and flourished from AD 550 to the late 1200s. When they first settled the mesa in 550 AD, they lived in pit houses that were dug underground. Around AD 750 they began to build their houses above ground in conjunction to one another in long, curving rows. They flourished and their population grew to where their houses became multi-storied compact villages. But around 1225 the people moved into the cliff alcoves and began constructing the intricate and large cliff dwellings seen today. Why they moved back into the alcoves, no one quite knows but it could have been for religious reasons, protection from the elements or as a form of defense. They lived in the cliff dwellings for less than 100 years before they were deserted. Again, no one knows why they left the cliff dwellings but several theories point to a severe drought and possible depletion of resources.

We highly suggest staying inside the park and here's why: The entrance and visitors center is right off Highway 160 but the cliff dwellings are at the end of a 21 mile (45 min) scenic drive through the park. Staying inside the park allows you to camp closer to all the cliff dwellings and trails. We did look at camping outside the park on BLM land but it was too pot holed for our Airstream and the private campgrounds outside of the park were relatively the same price as staying inside the national park campground.

Morefield Campground

Open mid-May to mid-October, this campground  has single and group campsites and first come first serve campsites. Each site has a table and a fireplace with grills. There are a few sites that have electrical hookups. A dump station is available. The campground also has WiFi, a camp store with groceries/firewood, and a laundromat.

Far View Lodge

Open May 1 to September 30, 2021, this lodge sits on a high shoulder of Mesa Verde near mile marker 15 on the main park road, offering panoramic vistas into three states. It's a simple lodge with no TVs, noise or distractions but a place to linger and appreciate why people lived here for seven centuries. You can make reservations online through the Aramark website.

Mesa Verde National Park: Morefield Campground

Tanner and I have very specific diets due to health issues so we always make our food at home but here are some places you can eat at while inside the park!

Far View Terrace Cafe

Open May 10 to September 30, Far View Terrace Cafe is close to Far View Lodge that comes with an unforgettable view! Also stop by for coffee at their Mesa Mocha Espresso Bar.

Metate Room inside Far View Lodge

Open May 1 to September 30, the Metate Room received "Award of Culinary Excellence" from the American Culinary Federation Colorado Chefs Association in the area of sustainable cuisine. Colorful Native American artwork surrounds you as you enjoy our award winning, contemporary menu inspired by regional heritage foods and flavorings. Reservations are encouraged. 970.529.4422

Spruce Tree Terrace Cafe

Open year round but closed May 1 - September 30 Located in a historic building near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum and Spruce Tree House, this is a perfect place for a casual lunch or dinner. Dine inside, on the outdoor patio, or pick up a lunch-to-go and enjoy a picnic in the park.

Knife Edge Cafe

Located at the Morefield campground it is open May 27 - Sep 30 and offers breakfast, and grab & go lunch/dinner.

One of the best ways to enjoy the park is taking a ranger-led guided tour inside the cliff dwellings. We were so excited to experience the dwellings  but unfortunately due to COVID precautions, the tours were not being offered. We hope to go back some day to see the dwellings from within. You can book a ranger-led guided tour to the cliff dwellings on  recreation.gov and get more information here.

Mesa Verde National Park: Visitor and Research Center

Check out the Visitor Center

Once you enter the park, make sure to stop by the visitors center first! We always stop to grab a park map and a list of hiking trails.

PLEASE NOTE, when first entering the park you will see a sign that says "trailer parking", you do NOT have to pull over and park there if you plan to camp inside Morefield campground. Trailers and towed vehicles are not allowed beyond Morefield campground.

Drive the Scenic Drive & stop at the Overlooks

The drive into the park up to the top of the mesa is one of the most beautiful park entrances we have ever experienced! It is definitely underrated and deserves more credit. Make sure to stop at the various overlooks along the way to learn more about the Ancestral Pueblo people and take in the views of the four corner region.

Geologic Overlook with view of the four corner region

Far View Sites

The Far View Sites are the first archeological sites you will come up to and are a must-see! The Ancestral Pueblo people were living at Far View for at least 200 years before they began building the more famous cliff dwellings. The Far View sites are one of the most densely populated areas with 50 villages identified within a half square mile area, and were home to hundreds of people. Today, several excavated and stabilized sites are linked by a trail system within a short walking distance and some are wheelchair accessible.

Far View Sites: Coyote Village

Petroglyph Point Trail

Distance 2.4 miles roundtrip

Elevation gain 328 feet

On day two make sure to start your day early with this hike! One of our favorite things to see is petroglyphs so we were excited to learn about this hike. The trailhead is near the Spruce Tree House and allows you to see the beautiful Spruce Tree cliff dwelling. This adventurous trail provides beautiful views of Spruce & Navajo Canyons and takes you past a large petroglyph panel located 1.4 miles from the trailhead. It is narrow, rugged, and rocky, with several steep drop-offs along the canyon wall on the way to the petroglyph panel. After the panel, you’ll scramble up a large stone staircase using hands and feet to climb to the top, then enjoy an easy return through forest to complete the loop.

View of Navajo Canyon

Mesa Top Loop

Pit House

After the adventurous petroglyph hike, take a drive to Mesa Top Loop and stop to view the pit houses. Ancestral  pueblo farmers built their first permanent homes partially underground to ensure they were cool in the summer and warm in the winter. These pit houses date around AD 600 and are a sight to see!

Square Tower House

Standing 28 feet tall, this is the tallest building in the park! After a short stroll from the parking area, you will see the Square Tower House from an overlook. Some of the rooms still have their original wooden ceilings and floors.

Pit house AD 600

Square Tower House

Cliff Palace Loop

Cliff Palace

Take a 6 mile scenic drive around the Cliff Palace loop to view some of the most stunning cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park. The first dwelling you come up to is the very famous Cliff Palace. The Cliff Palace is one of the most well preserved and the largest dwelling in North America. Cliff Palace was built and occupied over a period of about 100 years and consists of more than 150 rooms and 21 kivas. You can snag a ticket to a ranger-led tour or view it from an overlook! Whatever you choose, seeing this cliff dwelling will leave you in awe of the innovative Ancestral Pueblo people that lived here.

Balcony House

After Cliff Palace, the next overlook you will come up to is Balcony House. This cliff dwelling was a mid-sized village of 38 rooms and two kivas and probably housed up to 30 people. Something that's very interesting is that this dwelling faces northeast, which means that it receives little warmth from the sun during the winter months. Even though it had little warmth in the winter, this dwelling was built close to two naturally-occurring seep springs and could be the reason the pueblo people chose this specific alcove.

Balcony House

Cliff Palace

Mesa Verde National Park is an underrated park that we fully believe doesn't get enough praise or mention. It is filled with rich history of a special people, who no matter what struggles they faced, they figured out a way to persevere and thrive. We hope you add Mesa Verde National Park to your list and come see the wonders and history that the Ancestral Pueblo people left behind.