The Four Corners Area - American Southwest - page 91

91 CAMPING Open from early May to mid-October, Morefield Campground, c/o

Aramark, P.O. Box 277, Mancos, CO 81328 ( & 866/292-8295; www.visitmesaverde.
com), 4 miles south of the park entrance, has 435 sites, including 15 with full RV hook-
ups. The campground is set in rolling hills in a grassy area with scrub oak and brush. The
attractive sites are fairly well spaced, and mostly separated by trees and other foliage, and
have picnic tables and grills. Facilities include modern restrooms, coin-operated showers
(not within easy walking distance of most campsites), a convenience store, and an RV
dump station. Programs on the area's human and natural history and other subjects are
presented nightly at the campground amphitheater from Memorial Day weekend
through Labor Day weekend. Campsites cost $23, or $31 with hookups. Reservations
are strongly recommended for hookup sites, available for other sites. There are also sev-
eral commercial campgrounds along US 160, just outside the park entrance.

WHERE TO STAY & DINE
There is only one lodging facility in the park, Far View Lodge (see below), which con-
tains two restaurants and a bar. The company that runs the lodge also operates two other
restaurants in the park—one near the campground and another near Chapin Mesa
Museum. None of the restaurants accept reservations. For additional information on the
in-park restaurants, see www.visitmesaverde.com. There are also numerous lodging and
dining possibilities in nearby Cortez (see above).
Far View Lodge Located in the heart of Mesa Verde National Park, Far View Lodge
offers not only the most convenient location for visiting the park but also the best views
of any accommodations in the area. The facility lodges guests in 17 separate buildings
spread across a hilltop. Rooms aren't fancy, and some are a bit on the small side, but they
are well maintained and more than adequate, with Southwestern decor. The upscale
“Kiva” rooms boast handcrafted furniture, one king- or two double beds, bathrobes, CD
players, and other amenities. Most standard rooms have one queen-size bed or two
doubles, although a variety of bed combinations are available. For a couple, we prefer the
rooms with one bed—they seem less cramped than rooms with two beds. There are no
TVs, but each unit has a private balcony, and the views are magnificent in all directions.
All rooms are smoke-free.
The lodge restaurants serve three meals daily, and during the warmer months guided
tours of the park are scheduled. Call for the current schedule and rates.
Mesa Verde National Park (P.O. Box 277), Mancos, CO 81328. & 866/292-8295. Fax [phone]. www.
visitmesaverde.com. 150 units. $116-$150 double. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Closed mid-Oct to mid-Apr. Pets
accepted in standard rooms only with $50 deposit and $10 nonrefundable fee per pet per night. Ameni-
ties: 2 restaurants; Wi-Fi (in lobby). In room: A/C (Kiva rooms only), CD player (Kiva rooms only), fridge,
hair dryer.

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3 FOUR CORNERS MONUMENT

This is the only place in the United States where you can stand in four states at once.
There's a flat monument marking the spot where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and
Arizona meet, on which visitors can perch for photos. Official seals of the four states are
displayed, along with the motto four states here meet in freedom under god. Sur-
rounding the monument are the flags of the four states, the Navajo Nation and Ute
tribes, and the United States.