Sara

My family will be spending a night at Far View Lodge in mid-August, and they told me when I booked that we can reserve a tour in advance. This seems like a good idea, no need to stand in long lines at the beginning of the day. My question is, what tour should we reserve? We are 2 adults and 3 teenagers (boys) - is an all day tour too much? I'd like to see as much as possible, as we are from the East Coast and not likely to get back this way anytime soon, but I don't want to overestimate our stamina or the kids interest level. Thanks for any opinions.

Howard

Definitely take the day tour. There is much to see at Mesa Verde. And, since you say you may never get back there again, I'd recommend you take in an much as possible. You won't regret it.And, there's lots to take in. Mesa Verde is one of our all-time favorites.

Kay

We did two tours--Balcony House and Cliff Palace in one day in late Aug/early Sept, then rounded out the day with independent exploration of the other sites. It was not too strenuous, but it can be hot. We had to hurry from one tour to the other so we made sure we had water and snacks with us for in between. Both guides were very interesting.

Pat

Were there with 2 teens from East Coast last summer! Accommodations at Far View are modest; timewise, it's the only choice, but...The drive into MesaVerde from entrance is lengthy, maybe 45 minutes up STEEP hills. I was glad we stayed at the lodge the night BEFORE the tour, in view of the drive. We did Cliff Palace, Balcony House and Spruce House. All are wonderful, but under high demand, you can only choose one of the first two per day(otherwise, above order). If you can see both, do so. They're very different. I think it's Balcony House that has a lengthy climb up the face by ladder, halfway thru tour. I'm not crazy about heights, but it's manageable if you concentrate on one rung at a time. Buy your tickets early from the visitor's center on grounds, or reserve them. There are places to snack, scenic drives. Take a panoramic and zoom. I bought a few panoramic postcards and framed them for my office.
Don't know what else you're considering, but Monument Valley and Lake Powell to the West are phenomenal! Take time to walk the Lake. Wild hares and lizards roam the beach. We also did Vegas. The freebies alone were worth two days of entertainment.

Bob Brown

Balcony House is the fun one. You get to climb ladders and crawl around Indian fashion. Highly recommended.
Don't worry about the ladders, my son was 11 when he took the tour, and his small size was no problem. In fact, his agility was a plus.

mary

Be sure to wear good walking shoes and wear layers. Is still cool there in the mornings and evening. Full day is not too much. It will go by in no time.