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National park · Cortez, Colorado
Mesa Verde National Park
Park that protects dwellings built under canyon overhangs by the ancestral Pueblo peoples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entrance fee applies.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 as the first U.S. park dedicated to protecting human-made structures, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It protects about 5,000 archaeological sites, including more than 600 dwellings built beneath the overhangs of canyon walls.
The ancestral Pueblo peoples lived on the mesa for roughly seven hundred years. First in semi-subterranean houses, then in villages atop the mesa, and in the 13th century in cliff dwellings of stone and mortar with towers, storage rooms, and kivas, circular ceremonial rooms. At the end of that century they migrated south; their descendants live today in the pueblos of Arizona and New Mexico.
The park road climbs the mesa to the Chapin Mesa area, with the museum, viewpoints, and the Mesa Top Loop and Cliff Palace Loop drives. Wetherill Mesa, farther away, is usually open only in summer. There is an entrance fee, and international visitors may pay an additional fee: check the park website.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
One to two days.
Best time
From May to October, when guided tours operate; in the morning, before the heat and afternoon thunderstorms.
How to get there
The park entrance is about 15 km from Cortez and 55 km from Durango via Highway 160. From the entrance to the Chapin Mesa area is about 35 km of mountain road.
Tip
Stop at the visitor center by the entrance to buy or confirm guided tour tickets before driving up the mesa.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Mesa Verde National Park
Who built the dwellings at Mesa Verde?
The ancestral Pueblo peoples, who lived in the region for about seven hundred years, until the end of the 13th century.
How long does it take to get to Cliff Palace from the park entrance?
About 45 minutes by car, on a mountain road of roughly 35 km.
Is Mesa Verde open in winter?
The park remains open, but most guided tours and Wetherill Mesa usually operate only from spring through autumn.