Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The park entrance is off US 160, midway between Cortez and Mancos. From the entrance,
it's about 21 miles to park headquarters, Chapin Mesa Museum and Spruce Tree House.
Along the way are Morefield Campground (4 miles), the panoramic viewpoint at Park
Point (8 miles) and the Far View Visitor Center opposite the Far View Lodge - about 11
miles. Towed vehicles are not allowed beyond Morefield Campground.
South from park headquarters, Mesa Top Rd consists of two one-way circuits. Turn left
about a quarter-mile from the start of Mesa Top Rd to visit Cliff Palace and Balcony
House on the east loop. From the junction with the main road at Far View Visitor Center,
the 12-mile mountainous Wetherill Mesa Rd snakes along the North Rim, acting as a nat-
ural barrier to tour buses and indifferent travelers. The road is open only from Memorial
Day in late May to Labor Day in early September.
Information
Good maps are issued to visitors at the national park gate on entry. Quality topographical
maps can be bought at the visitor center and the museum as well as in stores in Durango
and Cortez.
Mesa Verde Museum Association
( 970-529-4445, 800-305-6053;
www.mesaverde.org
;
Chapin Mesa Rd;
8am-6:30pm Apr-mid-Oct, 8am-5pm mid-Oct-Apr; )
Attached to the Chapin Mesa Museum, this
nonprofit organization sponsors research activities and exhibits. It has an excellent selec-
tion of materials on the Ancestral Puebloans and modern tribes in the American Southw-
est, and has books, posters and glossy calendars for sale.
Mesa Verde Visitor & Research Center
( 800-305-6053, 970-529-5034;
www.nps.gov/meve
;
North Rim Rd;
8am-7pm Jun-early Sep, 8am-5pm early Sep-mid-Oct, closed mid-Oct-May; )
Visitor information and
tickets for tours of Cliff Palace, Balcony House or Long House.
Park Headquarters
( 970-529-4465;
www.nps.gov/meve
; Chapin Mesa Rd; 7-day park entry per vehicle $15, cyc-
lists, hikers & motorcyclists $8; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri; )
The Mesa Verde National Park entrance is
off US 160, midway between Cortez and Mancos. From the entrance it is 21 miles to the
park headquarters. You can get road information and the word on park closures (many
areas are closed in winter).
Getting There & Around
Although there are some operators running tours to and around Mesa Verde National Park
from Durango - contact the Durango Welcome Center (
Click here
)
- most people visit
