Mesa Verde National Park Travel Guide

Unlike most national parks of the west, Mesa Verde earned its status from its rich cultural history rather than its geological treasures. President Theodore Roosevelt established it in 1906 as the first national park to "preserve the works of man." The Ancestral Puebloan people, who lived in the region from roughly 600 to 1300, left behind more than 4,000 archaeological sites spread out over 80 square mi. Their ancient dwellings, set high into the sandstone cliffs, are the heart of the park.

Hotels

Mesa Verde National Park Hotels

All 150 rooms of the park's Far View Lodge, open April through October, have private balconies and fill up quickly—so reservations are recommended...read more

Restaurants

Mesa Verde National Park Restaurants

Dining options in Mesa Verde are limited inside the park, but comparatively plentiful and varied if you're staying in a nearby town. In surrounding communities...read more

Things To Do

Things To Do in Mesa Verde National Park

Explore the best sights, entertainment, and shopping with our top choices and insider tips.

Hotels

Mesa Verde National Park Experiences

  • Top Reasons to Go to Mesa Verde National Park

    Cliff dwellings: Built atop the pinyon-covered mesa tops and hidden in the park's valleys is a wondrous collection of 600 ancient dwellings, some... Read more

  • Good Reads

    Mesa Verde National Park: The First 100 Years, by Rose Houk, Faith Marcovecchio, and Duane A. Smith, captures the park as it celebrated its... Read more

  • Flora and Fauna

    Many areas of the park have extensive fire damage. In fact, wildfires here have been so destructive they are given names, just like hurricanes... Read more

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