Mesa Verde
 

Hi,

Is there more than one entrance into Mesa Verde National Park? Can you enter/exit it from the Cortez side? We are going in June and are thinking we are going to see the Four Corners Monument the same day and then drive back to the place we are staying in Durango. It would be nice to exit out the side near Cortez, go to the Four Corners and back to Durango without too much backtracking, etc.

Any tips are appreciated! And just fyi, the Four Corners may not be all that, but we have to see it for ourselves!

Thanks!

The only entrance is off US160 35 miles West of Durango and 10 miles East of Cortez. When you leave the 4 corners, turn left onto US64 East and go through Shiprock to Farmington NM. From there you can go North or Northeast to get back to Durango.

There is only one entrance/exit to Mesa Verde National Park and it's east of Cortez on Hwy 160. To really see Mesa Verde you are going to want to spend the whole day there.

The Four Corners Monument is going to take you 100 miles/ 2 hours round trip out of your way for 5 minutes of glory.

Utahtea

tomfuller's route will add about 30 miles to your round trip but at least you will see some different scenery.

Utahtea

Hi,
Love your name. Mesa verde entrance is about 10 miles from Cortez. That is the only entrance I know about.
I know what people say about 4 corners and I agree. However, our grand kids loved it because they could lie on the spot and be in four states. They were nine and 12 at the time. As our granddaughter told us, "what's a rip-off to you isn't a rip-off to us." Of course, she wasn't paying LOL.
Also, be sure and check mileage for the day and plan on the time once you are inside Mesa Verde
Have fun.

Linda

What folks are not mentioning - the drive into Mesa Verde from 160 is at least 30 -45 mins and then additional time to stop at visitor's center to buy tour tickets, then drive to the tour and then you have a long ride out back to 160. And in the summer, you may not be able to just walk into the visitor center and get tickets for the "next" tour, it may be a few hours later.

I <b>strongly</b> suggest you alot a full day to Mesa Verde.

The drive to and from Durango to Mesa Verde [depending on where you start from in Durango] but from the intersection of 550 and 160 near the Train depot will take you a good 45 minutes each way.

You need to think about your drive times and better think your plan accordingly.

What Debi says is what I remember--it is a LONG way into MV. And MORE than one day there is MORE than worth it. It is captivating to be there and think about that culture.

By the same token, a trip to Canyon de Chelly is fascinating because they lived just above the valley floor, while the Anasazi of MV lived 100 feet below the mesa top and hundreds of feet (maybe-don't hold me to it) above the valley floor. Absolutely fascinating stuff. Whatever it is , they were nimble folk.

Mesa Verde is not a 'pop in pop out' National Park. It really is a bit of a trek into and back out of the park. You used to be able to roam amongst the ruins by yourself at your own pace but now, due to vandals, you have to go on scheduled tours. It's a beautiful park and the dwellings are just spectacular to walk around.

There are also trails to explore on your own [which sadly, few do - the petroglyph trail in particular] and there is an entire section, Wetherill Mesa, that only 10% of visitors go to [another 45 minute drive in past other sites] and it is quite special since you actually get to walk into the dwellings and look out and see virtually the same view that the ancestral puebloans had when they looked out, 1000 years ago.

I think it is foolish to try to do both. And MV is best done with an overnight in the park. The road in and out is long and slow. What you are suggesting just does not work. Trust us, we live here.

We did the same trip. We thought going to the 4 corners was worth it. However, we spent two full days at Mesa Verde and didn't even make it to the Wetherill section. You will absolutely want a full day at the minimum for Mesa Verde. If it were to do again, we would have spent 3 days there. I would highly recommend even staying a night a Far View Lodge there. Petroglyph trail is a nice trail to take. You can hike it if you are waiting for a few hours for a tour time.

Is there any way you can spend one night at Mesa Verde? We stayed at Far View Lodge and while one night was enough for me, it really is the best option (besides camping) for seeing the park in depth. We had the most basic room and it definitely needed renovation, but it was worth staying in the park rather than making the drive from Cortez or Durango.

We arrived mid-afternoon in early July and bought tickets for the last tour of Cliff Palace that evening and tickets for the first tour the next morning for Balcony House. We had time to tour Spruce Tree House and visit the museum before our tour of Cliff Palace.

We should have done Cliff House/Balcony House in reverse because according to the ranger, Balcony House is in the shade in the late afternoon and Cliff Palace gets the morning sun. It wasn't too bad the way we toured, but the ladder at Balcony house was hot by 9:15.

Wetherill Mesa was closed when we visited so we did not have that tour option.

We love hiking, but by the time we finished touring Balcony House late morning, it was hot so we passed on the hiking and headed out of the park.

Thanks for your responses..it helps to have people who know the area help plan the trip. One more question, how long would it take to drive from Albuquerque to Four Corners Monument? We may just knock that part out on the way in to Durango. I was hoping 4 Corners was just a nice little 30 min. drive from Mesa Verde, but guess that is not the case! ha.

How are you planning to get to Durango??
Four Corners is NOT on the way from ABQ to Durango. Driving from ABQ to Durango is 3 hours via NM550. From Durango to Cortez via SR160 is an hour. Cortez to Four Corners, is at least 30 mins.

I suppose you could drive from ABQ to Farmington, then onto to Four Corners, then back to Cortez and then to Durango. That really would be the only way it could be considered "on the way." That would take almost 5 hours to Four Corners, then 90 minutes from Four Corners to the start of Durango.

Albuquerque to Durango via Hwy 550 (which is a good road, we did it last fall) is approx 215 miles and 3 1/2 hours driving time.

Taking the same Hwy 550 but go east at Farmington on Hwy 64 pass Shiprock and then take Hwy 160 to Four Corners and on to Durango it is approx 330 miles and a little over 5 hours of driving time.

Utahtea

Sorry Utahtea, I don't think it is 5 hours to Durango via Four Corners. We have driven via Farmington and Shiprock to Cortez many times and it is a bit over four hours, that does not take into consideration the trip to Four Corners via Teec Nos Pos. From Cortez to Durango is an hour. Not sure Shiprock to Four Corners and then to Cortez, but an hour isn't unreasonable, especially since these are single lane roads.

DebitNM, I'm lost, are you saying it's more than 5 hours or less than 5 hours from Albuquerque to Durango via Four Corners?

Utahtea

More. ABQ to Cortez to Durango [via Farmington and Shiprock] is at least 5 hours. I know that for a fact. Then add in the jaunt from Shiprock over to Four Corner and then on to Cortez is another hour.

Thanks DebitNM, My Microsoft Streets and Trips came up with 5 hours and 15 minutes so I did say a little over 5 hours. You never know what traffic will be though the towns, or possible road construction or accidents. Last year between Teec Nos Pos on Hwy 160 and the turn off to Hwy 191 a big rig over turned right in the middle of the road and we waited well over an hour and others in front of us waited a lot longer for the road to get open.

Utahtea

As many have mentioned Mesa Verde deserves a full day and based upon personal experience of all there is to do in that area the Four Corners would be last on my list. My wife and I went there when we lived in Durango and after thirty minutes we were ready to leave. Not worth the drive and the time can be better spent elsewhere.

Really Mesa Verde is best done with Two Full Days. We did 2 days and didn't even see Wetherill, FWIW.

Is the drive into Mesa Verde from Durango a steep and scary drive? I'm going to be doing this myself with no husband who usually handles this kind of adventure and I'm a wimp when it comes to twisty roads with no guard rails! Please tell me I won't fall off the mountain. When does the sun go down in Mesa Verde in June? I don't want to be driving back in the dark. Deep breath.

I won't kid you, the drive into Mesa Verde from the entrance is a bit daunting. It has a lot of turns and there are areas without guard rails. It isn't that steep; there are switchbacks for the steeper stretches so you aren't going straight up or down.

You aren't going to go over the edge as the roads isn't right along the edge. Usually my husband drives it when we go, but I have driven it myself and was just cautious. I have also gone up on a motorcycle!!

Just take is easy and think about the grandeur that awaits!

DebitNM,

Thanks for your response. I will just have to prepare myself for the journey! I also wanted to ask HOW scary ARE the 30 and 60 foot ladder climbs? Has anyone ever fallen off and died? Are there any tips, like don't look down just keeping climbing??

IMHO the ladders are a little scary, and yes don't look down. If you come from sea level and haven't acclimated to the elevation you will find that you are sucking wind about half way up and are collapsing on the benches when you get to the top. It's all worth it though.

For the ladders- just keep looking forward, and concentrate by doing: hand over hand, foot over foot.

My husband doesn't like heights and he has done it, but it isn't a favorite thing for him. He just said "I steel myself, knowing it has to be done and I do it."

If you think it is going to be a problem, you might want to skip Balcony House, it is the one with the most arduous ladders. There are still plenty of other sites to see and do.

I meant to add, that although it takes additional time to drive to and from, Long House on Wetherill would probably be okay for you. Step House is there too. Very worth the time to drive there and see these dwellings.

I was there a few weeks ago for the first time and it's so beautiful. The drive going up to the park is so beautiful and there are pull-outs along the way. I really liked the Mesa Top Loop because the sites are RIGHT there as you park along the road. It's a lot of fun - hope you enjoy it.

Thanks all for the encouragement! I am excited but am glad I can mentally prepare to drive up a twisty mesa and then climb very tall ladders!

The drive isn't really that bad - it goes up in elevation but it's so scenic and you can't go that fast anyhow - it'll be fine.

When we left to Mesa Verde, heading to Durango, there was a bike race going on. Now THAT"S scary. They were on the edge of the road with a cliff on their right side and cars flying down on their left!