It was a long 8-hour drive to the Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado from Las Cruces, New Mexico. For months, I have been wanting to visit this place since it is the only one, among all 56 listed National Parks in the U.S. that preserves the culture of the Ancestral Pueblo people. Nearly 600 cliff dwellings are spread within the boundaries of the 21,240 ha park, considered the largest cliff dwelling in the U.S.
The cliff dwellings and mesa-top villages that were built out of sandstone, mortar and wooden beams, have been dated A.D. 550 to A.D. 1200. Surrounded by canyons, the villages of the ancient Pueblo culture hidden under huge alcoves of Mesa Verde are well preserved.
The first time I sighted a dwelling, I was amazed.
There are several stops while driving through the park. Each stop gives a different view of North America’s best-preserved pre-historic past.
I have been to the historic Bandelier National Monument in Los Alamos, New Mexico, but what I saw at the Mesa Verde National Park was beyond compare. No wonder is has been listed as one of the United Nations World Heritage sites.
The largest and most popular among the cliff dwellings is the Cliff Palace, with more than 150 rooms. The park says that the Cliff Palace was a “social, administrative site with high ceremonial usage.”
Based on the size of the villages, the average height of the people who lived there was about 5’4″ to 5’5″ for men and 5′ to 5’1″ for women.
To get closer to the dwellings, a ranger-guided tour is offered by the park. Purchase your ticket (price is $4.00 per person) at the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center, located near the park’s entrance. The park warns that the guided tour can be strenuous, especially for those with heart or respiratory problems. It involves a lot of going up and down steep trails and narrow ladders.
The Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center isn’t just for ticket sales. There is a museum with tons of information about the history of the park, about how the people lived and survived in the cliff dwellings for hundreds of years.
Other things you need to know about the park.
– Located on rugged terrain with elevation of 7,000 to 8,500 feet.
– Limited accessibility for visitors with disability.
– There are places where you can camp inside Mesa Verde, such as the Morefield Campground.
The fee is either $10 or $15, depending on the season. Summer season is usually $15. The fee is good for 7 days.
Are pets allowed?
Unfortunately, pets are not allowed on trails, in archeological sites, or in buildings, except for service animals. However, pets may be walked along paved roads, in parking lots, and at the campground with a leash.
Park hours.
Mesa Verde is open all year round, 24 hours a day. There may be limited access to some sites during the off season.
Address.
Mesa Verde National Park is about an hour drive from Cortez, Colorado. Go east on Highway 160. Use your GPS feature “Points of Interest” to find the park. If you want to get there by plane, check the three closest airports: Cortez, Colorado; Durango, Colorado; and Farmington, New Mexico.
Where to stay.
There are a number of hotels in the area. In my case, I stayed at a hotel in Cortez City.
See also: My other travel adventures in the USA.
See also: List of National Parks.
