Hey there! Are you ready to plan a fascinating trip to Mesa Verde National Park?! Dive into the history of an ancient culture and find appreciation for those that have come before us. You are sure to find something here that everyone in your group will LOVE.
Mesa Verde is a place you will never forget — and likely somewhere you will talk about for years to come. It is a sacred and spiritual place for many people. Hopefully, during your visit, you will feel a connection to the land that you have never have felt before. This amazing place will leave you speechless!
There is so much to do. You may have already looked at a map and been a little overwhelmed — and eager — to make sure that you don’t miss the best sights.
I’m a former park ranger, and I’ll help you plan your vacation down to the details. I’ve extensively explored Mesa Verde and am here to help! Whether this is your first time to Mesa Verde, or if you are returning after many years and would like to be reintroduced to the park, this list of 8 things is for you.
What You Need to Know About Mesa Verde National Park
- Mesa Verde is open year-round, but some of the most popular spots are only open from approximately May – October. Cliff dwellings that require a ranger-led tour are seasonal and don’t run during the off-season. For more information on the park’s operating hours and seasons, click here.
- This park only has one entrance! The entrance is near the town of Cortez, but from the entrance gate, it takes at least 1 hour to get to the cliff dwellings. For the best experience, get an early start to your day.
- Stopping in at the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center is one of the best ways to appreciate this national park. Mesa Verde will make more of an impression on you and your group if you take some time to educate yourself about what you are seeing!
- Planning ahead is CRUCIAL in this park if you want to see the biggest and most impressive cliff dwellings. Tour tickets are required for several can’t-miss places, such as Cliff Palace, Long House, and Balcony House. They can be purchased two weeks in advance at Recreation.gov. Here’s where you can find more information about how to buy tour tickets.
- Lodging options within the park are limited to the Morefield Campground or the Far View Lodge.
I’ll make sure that you don’t miss the sights that make this park so famous, but I also want to provide a few treasures that are off the beaten path as well. Let the adventure begin!
Click NEXT to see this exciting list of 8 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Mesa Verde National Park!
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Thank you so much for this! It’s tremendously helpful to know a bit more about how long the tours are, what the driving distances are, and what’s involved with each – great blog!
Thanks so much!
Hi. I thought I saw a rough 10 day itinerary on your site to hit the Colorado national parks and now I can’t seem to find it.
It’s near the bottom of this article: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/how-many-days-should-i-spend-in-rocky-mountain-national-park/
Thank you for all of your recommendations. I am looking to visit Mesa Verde beginning around the end of the second and beginning of the third week of May, 2023. I’m not sure what will be open then nor how many of the Ranger led tours will be available yet (do you know?). How much time do I need to see Mesa Verde? One day or 2 days (or more)?
We have been there around that time, and the ranger tours can be a little scarce. The tour schedules have been a little weird over the past few years because of COVID/closures. It looks like they are saying tours will start back up around May 14th in 2023, but I have no idea what they’ll actually have open at that time. 1 day is sufficient if you want to hit a tour in the morning and a tour/scenic drive in the afternoon. If you’re hoping to get to most of the ranger-led tours, you’ll want to give yourself another day.
Have a great time!
Thank you for all your wonderful information on the parks in our country – I am so grateful for your website in planning our family’s NP tour of the west/southwest this fall. I just discovered the Mesa Top Loop Road is closed for September (when we will be in the area) – do you think it is still worth a visit? Hoping to snag tickets for the tours, but I understand they go FAST.
Thanks in advance for your input!
Oh yeah, it’s for sure still worth going! I hope you’re able to get the tour tickets you want!
We are planning to visit Mesa Verde in September and will have a full day to do so. The sites currently listed as open for our timeframe are Cliff Palace, Long House, and Balcony House. I unfortunately believe my husband won’t fit through the tunnels at Balcony House so that leaves the other two. Would you suggest we try to tour both houses? It sounds like if we do that it will take most of our day and we may not have time for much else of the park. But, I’m afraid of being disappointed in touring just Cliff Palace since we can’t get as up close and personal there. Would love your thoughts! Thank you for such an informational post!
I would book both tours! In my opinion, the tours are the best part of Mesa Verde and the best use of your time!
what a GREAT share !!!
very helpful !!
gonna be there in September.
THANK YOU !!!
I’d like to start off by saying that I love all your information. I purchased your yellowstone itinerary last year and have followed you ever since. We’re visiting the grand canyon, zion, monument valley, antelope canyon, and mesa verde this year and I’m glad I checked your site for this one! I was however a little sad you didn’t throw in petroglyph trail in your list as you are known to go off the main attractions. Is this trail not as good as I’ve read?
It’s a great one! Because of the length, I decided to leave it out and stick to the best ruins since that’s what most people are hoping to see. But yes, if that appeals to you, definitely hike it!
How can we inquire if there have been any cancellations for tours today?
You’ll need to check the NPS website directly, or talk to a ranger when you get there!
According to the NPS site, there is no access to Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail through the end of the month. The museum and visitor’s center are both closed too.
Is this still worth it?
If you can get tour tickets for any of the ruins, I think you could still have a great time. But people have been having a REALLY hard time getting tickets this year :(
We just tried to book a tour for early June. It was like buying concert tickets. Was ready to go at 7:59 and refreshed the page at 8:00am when tickets go on sale. They were immediately sold out. We weren’t able to get any guided tours for our trip :(
I am sorry to hear that :( Keeping checking back in case there are any cancellations!
Same here. Tried to book for late June 2021 starting at 7:55 and refreshing every couple seconds. By the time the tickets were available, all were sold except 11. Tried to buy one of those 11 and it kept telling me they were not available.
How quickly do we need to purchase tour tickets, do they sell out fast? Also, are there tickets available on 1st come, 1st serve to those who don’t plan a tour in advance?
They sell out quickly, so be sure to get on the site on the exact day they open up the tickets for your dates. It looks like all sales are being done online, no first-come, first-served.
Are there dwellings you can access without a guide or legal consequences?
There are some small/incomplete dwellings you can tour without a guide, but the large and impressive dwellings have to be visited with a guide only :)
We took the Balcony House tour this past September. It was amazing and the ranger that guided the tour played his hand made flute on the ledge by the Kiva. He was amazing to listen to and the sound was so beautiful and haunting it felt as if we were transported back in time. He later told me he had played with several orchestras in the US, Europe and Asia. We will be returning next year and seeing more of the park. I was able to get some great shots of several dwellings that are located across the valley from Balcony house. I don’t think they are open to the public but my zoom lens gave us a clear picture. Having a camera with a 50X zoom should be part of your kit for this great park.
That’s awesome! Sounds like a perfect experience in Mesa Verde. Thanks for sharing!
We’re planning a spring break trip and didn’t realize the tours aren’t available until later in the year. Are there ample things to do that don’t require a tour guide?
Yeah, there are some good options along the main road. You won’t be able to go into any of the large structures without a guide {unless you aren’t going until mid-April, at which point Cliff Palace will open up for tours}. But there are some smaller sites you can visit without a tour…many of them are on this list. Have fun!
We have plans for trip to Mesa Verde and Arches/Canyonland for August…beginning to think I was crazy for doing August. I have reservations to stay at Far View lodge and ticket for 700 Year Tour and hope to be able to get tickets for Cliff Palace and Long House 14 days out. Anyone have other suggestions for August trip?
We have been there many times & with grandchildren
That’s fantastic! It’s such a great place!