Park Brochure

About Your Visit

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Mesa Verde National Park is located in the high plateau country of southwestern Colorado. The park entrance is midway between Cortez and Mancos, off U.S. 160. It is 21 miles from the entrance to park headquarters and archeological sites on Chapin Mesa. Morefield campground is located 4 miles from the entrance. The Far View Visitor Center is found 15 miles into the park. Allow at least 45 minutes for the drive to Chapin Mesa. Park roads are scenic drives with sharp curves, steep grades, and reduced speed limits. For your safety, do not park on any roadway. Use designated pull-outs. Mesa Verde is also accessible by commercial airline carriers. There are daily scheduled flights to Cortez and Durango; both towns have rental car service. The nearest railroad terminals are Grand Junction, Colorado, and Gallup, New Mexico; buses from those points serve Cortez.

[ Painting Is for NPS Use Only ]

To See the Park

[ Painting Is for NPS Use Only ]

To get the most out of your visit, go first to either the Far View Visitor Center (open from April to October) or to the Chapin Mesa Museum (open from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the rest of the year). Rangers there will help you plan your visit. Take advantage of the park's many interpretive programs. Exhibits at Far View and Chapin Mesa illustrate the arts and crafts of the cultures of the region. Rangerd lead guided tours and evening campfire programs in the summer. Wayside exhibits throughout the park interpret the cliff dwellings and other archeological sites. The sequence of Ancestral Puebloan architectural development in Mesa Verde can be seen at sites along the Mesa Top Loop Road on Chapin Mesa.

Services

Food, gasoline, and lodging are available only from early spring through late fall. No services are available the rest of the year. Interpretive services are available year-round although not all sites are open during the slower months. See the Park Schedule for specifics.

Morefield Campground, open early spring through late fall, has single and group campsites. Campsites for the physically impaired are available. All campsites have a table, benches, and grill. Gathering firewood or injuring trees and shrubs is prohibited. Camps should not be left unattended for more than 24 hours. Some utility hookups are available, and there is a dump station for RV's. Near the park entrance are several commercial campgrounds.

Services at the campground include groceries, carryout food, gasoline, firewood, showers, and a laundromat. Campfire programs are given every evening from Memorial Day through Labor Day. During the summer non-denominational religious services are held. Three hiking trails originate in the Morefield area.

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