On our road trip around the United States, we took a pit stop at Mesa Verde National Park since it was only an hour’s drive out of our way to Monument Valley.

We’re very happy that we made this choice and decided to check out the park. No matter if you’re coming in late spring, early fall, etc… This park is definitely worth checking out. Our family really enjoyed it so we know yours should too!

The Mesa Verde National Park Entrance

When entering Mesa Verde National Park there is so much to see and do. The scenic drives around the park make sure you aren’t bored while getting to and from different hiking trails and attractions. Of course, before you get to any hikes or areas of interest you’ll want to stop at the visitor center.

There is an entrance pass you’ll need to buy before entering the park, and if you’re thinking of doing a tour you’ll want to book those in advance on the Mesa Verde National Park website.

There are a few exceptions for having to pay a few on certain days, we didn’t know about this, it being our first visit to Mesa Verde and we didn’t spend a full day there. But regardless the free-of-payment days are:

• January 15th, Martin Luther King, Jr. day
• April 20th, the first day of National Parks week
• June 19th, Juneteenth 
• August 4th, The Great American Outdoors Act
• September 28th, National Public Lands Day
• November 11th, Veterans Day

Of course, current pass holders don’t need to worry about that! If you’re military or disabled you can get park entry free.

Parking at Mesa Verde

There are also a few different parking lots for different parts of Mesa Verde but all are wheelchair accessible.

Pets at Mesa Verde

Pets are welcome in some areas BUT must be kept on leash, and meet a lot of other requirements. We don’t have any pets so we didn’t really look into the rules and regulations on pets at Mesa Verde National Park. So if you want to learn more click this link here!

Mesa Verde Research Center and Visitor Center

We didn’t stop at the research and visitor center, we paid the entrance fee and went on our way, but if you have little ones it’s a good idea to take a moment to check the inside out. Mesa Verde National Park offers the junior ranger program which Audrey normally does herself. The kids get a pamphlet and fill it out as they walk around the park, then when you’re finished with wandering around Mesa Verde you return the completed pamphlet and receive a junior park ranger badge. Audrey has done this at a few different parks already, and loves it! The visitor center is of course also where any souvenirs can be purchased. 

Mesa Verde National Park Trails and Attractions

We didn’t have time to do everything during our visit, nor was everything open to the public. Like I stated before, for certain hiking trails you do need a guide and you do need to reserve tour tickets for that tour before coming to the park.

But we did do the more well-known Cliff Palace and a few other things. Even though we did not do some of the trails, we’ll still list them and what they are down below for you! Especially because the Mesa Verde National Park website can be a little tricky to understand.

Cliff Palace Loop Road

Cliff Palace Loop Road is a 6-mile drive to Cliff Palace. Cliff Palace is the most popular attraction and probably the image that pops into your mind when you read or think about ” Mesa Verde ” You can see the cliff dwellings with no problem, this is a great spot for photos as well. We didn’t do the hiking trail down ( Soda Canyon Overlook Trail ) as it seemed like you needed a ticket to hike it, which we weren’t aware of, so we didn’t purchase any. But in comparison to Cliff Palace, it looked somewhat strenuous. 

House of Many Windows

This overlook is maybe around a 3-minute drive from Cliff Palace and gives you a view of the other side of the canyon. It’s a little hard to spot at first but with a short read of information sign, you’ll be able to know what general area to look in.

Spruce Tree House

This is another outlook, although we think you might be able to take a ranger-led tour we’re not too sure. It can be a bit difficult to see from the outlook, especially depending on if the sun is creating shadows but it’s worth trying to see it anyway!

For these photos, we just thought the surrounding scenery was beautiful, so we stopped on the side of the road right before reaching the Cliff Palace. Although we felt that we did and saw a lot, there were quite a few things we unfortunately missed. Those being: 

• Mesa Top Loop Road: A 6-mile drive through the 700-year-old land of the ancestral Puebloans and Mesa tops.
• Far View Sites: This is a 3/4 mile walk (1.2km) It connects a community of mesa-top farming villages. There is a parking limit that only allows vehicles under 25 feet.
• Cedar Tree Tower: A small tower kiva, with access to the Farming Terrace Loop trail.
• Park Point: The highest point in the park, at 8,572 feet. One of the more short hikes, and a great place to enjoy the stars at night.
• Wetherill Mesa: These are Mesa top ruins with four large cliff dwellings. These are only open from spring to fall.
• Mesa Verde Museum: We unfortunately missed this part of Mesa Verde. But this museum offers a look into the park’s history and a park film.
• Mesa Verde Tours: There are a lot of different tours to take, of course, we didn’t do any ourselves but the National Park Service website offers a wide variety of them!

Audio Tours

Right before you start driving Mesa Top Loop you can visit the Mesa Verde website to download the audio and listen as you go. Make sure to download it BEFORE you arrive, as Mesa Verde doesn’t have the best service.

Self-Guided Tours

Most of the hiking trails and attractions you can see and do yourself! Which is great for people trying to go their own pace.

Cliff-Dwelling Tour

Cliff dwellings can only be visited when you have park rangers with you. So they’re technically a ranger-guided tour. Mesa Verde only releases a certain amount of tickets per season, so you’ll have to book a specific time slot. You have 14 days in advance of the tour to book them.

Mesa Verde Lodging and Food

We didn’t stop at any restaurants, but there were a few spots to eat at in Mesa Verde, a place to stay and a gas station.

• Far View Lodge – offers Lodging, and gift shop.
• Far View Lounge – offers Pub and drinks
• Far View Terrace – offers Café, dining, and gift shop
• Spruce Tree Terrace – offers casual dining and shop
• Knife Edge Cafe – offers breakfast at the campground store
• Morefield Gas Station – offers Air and gas
• Morefield Campground Store – grocery store and gifts

Review of Mesa Verde National Park

Overall, Mesa Verde is a really cool place to stop and check out. It’s fun for the whole family and has so many incredible places and things to see. We really enjoyed our time at Mesa Verde even though it was short. This park is the best place for seeing cliff dwellings and has the best views of them as well.

Frequently Asked Questions about Mesa Verde National Park

Where is Mesa Verde National Park located

Mesa Verde National Park is in Montezuma County, Colorado. But near the border and the Four Corners Monument.

What time does Mesa Verde National Park open

Mesa Verde opens at 8 Am and closes at sunset.

What is the elevation of Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde is at 7000 feet (2130 meters) of elevation.