Mesa Verde National Park is located in the high plateau country of southwestern Colorado. The park entrance is midway between Cortez and Mancos, off U.S. 160. It is 21 miles from the entrance to park headquarters and the Chaplin Mesa ruins. Morefield campground is 4 miles from the entrance, Far View Visitor Center is 15 miles. Allow at least 45 minutes for the drive to Chapin Mesa. Park roads are scenic drives with sharp curves, steep grades and reduced speed limits. For your safety, do not park on any roadway. Mesa Verde is also accessible by common carrier. There are daily scheduled flights to Cortez and Durango; both towns have rental car service. The nearest railroad terminals are Grand Junction, Colo., and Gallup, N. Mex.; buses from those points serve Cortez.
To get the most out of your visit, go first to either the Far View Visitor Center (open only in the summer) or to the Chapin Mesa Museum (open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year). Rangers there will help you plan your visit.
Take advantage of the park's many interpretive programs. Exhibits at Far View and Chapin Mesa illustrate the arts and crafts of both the prehistoric and historic Indians of the region. Guided tours and evening campfire programs are given in summer. Wayside exhibits throughout the park interpret the cliff dwellings and other archeological remains. The sequence of Anasazi architectural development in Mesa Verde can be seen along Ruins Road on Chapin Mesa.
Services: food, gasoline, and lodging are available only from May through October. No services are available the rest of the year. Full interpretive services begin in mid-June and continue through Labor Day.
Morefield campground, open mid-April through October, has single and group campsites. Six campsites (with restrooms) are accessible to physically impaired persons. All campsites have a table, benches and a grill. The gathering of firewood or injuring of trees and shrubs is prohibited. Camps should not be left unattended for more than 24 hours. Some utility hookups are available, and there is a dump station for RVs. Near the park entrance are several commercial campgrounds.
Services at the campground include groceries, carryout food, gasoline, firewood, showers, and a laundromat. Evening campfire programs are given daily from early June to September. During the summer nondenominational religious services are held. Three hiking trails originate in the Morefield area. Park Point offers superb views of the entire Four Corners region. The fire lookout station here is staffed during the fire season. A brochure describes the natural features of the area.
Far View is a major center of visitor service. The visitor center, open from late spring through mid-autumn, displays contemporary Indian arts and crafts. Commercial tours of Chapin Mesa leave from Far View Motor Lodge. The motor lodge is open from May through October. For reservations, write ARA Mesa Verde Company, Box 277, Mancos, Colorado 81328. Telephone: 303-529-4421. There is a restaurant at the lodge and a cafeteria nearby; gasoline is also available.
Wetherill Mesa is accessible during the summer by private vehicle between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Vehicles over 8,000 pounds GVW and/or over 25 feet in length are prohibited. The 12-mile mountain road to Wetherill has sharp curves and steep grades. Please obey the posted speed limits. Roadside pullouts offer spectacular views of the Four Corners region.
Two cliff dwellings, Step House and Long use, are open to the public. Badger House Community, a mesa-top complex near Long House, is accessible over a 3/4-mile trail. Rangers are on duty to interpret sites. You can buy sandwiches and cold drinks at Wetherill. Three major cliff dwellings on Chapin Mesa, Spruce Tree House, Cliff Palace, and Balcony House are open in season for visits, and many others are visible from Ruins Road. An archeological museum with diagrams interprets the life of the ancient Anasazi. Rangers conduct tours through some of the cliff dwellings. Current schedules are available at the museum or Far View Visitor Center.
Two hiking trails lead into Spruce Canyon. The Petroglyph Point Trail, 2.8 miles, and Spruce Canyon Trail, 2.1 miles, begin at points on the Spruce Tree House Trail. Hikers must register at the ranger's office before attempting these trails.
Other cliff dwellings can be seen from canyon-rim vantage points by taking the self-guiding loop drives of Ruins Road. Wayside exhibits interpret the development of Anasazi culture from the Basketmakers through the Classic period. These roads are open from 8 a.m. until sunset, but are often closed during the winter months. Visitors may snowshoe or cross-country ski on roadways as snow conditions permit.
At Spruce Tree Terrace, open year-round, light snacks, gifts, and souvenirs are sold. In winter, rangers lead guided tours of Spruce Tree House, weather and trail conditions permitting.
A guidebook for disabled visitors is available at all ranger stations, the visitor center, and the museum.
For your safety visits to cliff dwellings are strenuous. Altitudes in the park may vary from 6,000 to 8,500 feet. Trails may be uneven; steps and ladders must frequently be climbed. Hiking or touring cliff dwellings is not recommended for persons with heart or respiratory aliments. You can view most of the major cliff dwellings from overlooks.
Parents should be alert for their children's safety when near the canyon rims. Do not throw rocks or other objects into the canyons, there may be people below. Bicycling is permitted on all park roads except those on Wetherill Mesa, but lanes are not designated.
Emergency first aid is provided at the Chapin Mesa and Morefield ranger stations.
Park roads and trails may be hazardous in winter. Stop at the entrance gate for current information on road conditions and tour schedules. Trailers and towed vehicles are prohibited beyond Morefield Campground.
Crime Prevention, park visitors can be the target of professional thieves who rob campsites and locked vehicles. Take your valuables with you or leave them in a secure place. Locked cars and trunks are not completely safe. Report all thefts immediately to the nearest ranger station.