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Mesa Verde National Park
Guided Tours
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The following cliff dwellings can only be visited by taking a ranger-guided tour. Tickets must be purchased in advance and in person at the * ($3.00 per person). Tours are strenuous. Due to high demand for tours during the busy summer season, you may be asked to choose only one tour per day between Cliff Palace and Balcony House. Long House may be visited on the same day as Cliff Palace or Balcony House. Please use the link at right to see a schedule of tours. * After the Far View Visitor Center closes in October, Cliff Palace tour tickets must be purchased at the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum. CHAPIN MESA
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| Cliff Palace |
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Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde’s Largest Cliff Dwelling
This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbing five, 8-10ft (2.6-3m) ladders, on a 100ft (30m) vertical climb. Total walking distance is about 1/4-mile (400m), round-trip. The tour begins at Cliff Palace Overlook, an 8-mile (13km), 20-minute drive from the Visitor Center.
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| Balcony House |
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Balcony House
Adventurous Cliff Dwelling Tour
This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbing a 32 ft. ladder, crawling through a 12ft.-long tunnel, and climbing up a 60ft (20m) open rock face with two 10ft (3m) ladders to exit the site. The tour begins at the Balcony House parking area, a 10-mile (16km), 25-minute drive from the Visitor Center.
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| Spruce Tree House |
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Spruce Tree House
Best-Preserved Cliff Dwelling
(Early November to March)
This cliff dwelling is open year-round, however during the winter months, it is available by free, ranger-guided tour only. This one-hour tour involves a 100ft (30m) descent and ascent on a winding path. Walking distance is 1/2-mile (1km) round trip. Tours begin at the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum.
•During the spring, summer, and fall (early March to early November), Spruce Tree House is available on a self-guided basis.
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WETHERILL MESA (Open Memorial Day to Labor Day)
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| Long House |
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Long House
Mesa Verde’s Most In-Depth Tour
Starting with a tram ride to and from the trailhead, this 90-minute, ranger-guided tour involves climbing two 15ft (4.5m) ladders within the site. The round trip hike is 3/4 mile (1.2km), with a 130ft (40m) gain in elevation upon exiting. Tour begins at the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk, a 12-mile (19km) drive from the Visitor Center. Allow 45 minutes for this drive. Vehicles over 25-feet (8m) long are prohibited on this road.
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ARAMARK Mesa Verde (Park Concession)
Motor Coach Tours
Knowledgeable Aramark guides lead visitors on a learning adventure and share modern understanding and interpretation of the culture, architecture, and archeology of the Ancestral Puebloan people. These half and full-day tours start with the earliest pithouses and include a walk through Spruce Tree House cliff dwelling. Enjoy a bus ride in comfort to the park’s most fascinating sites. Your experienced guide will lead you on short hikes that stop at vantage points for spectacular photos. Tickets may be purchased at the Far View Visitor Center, Far View Lodge and Terrace, and Morefield Campground. Visit the for rates, schedules and other services.
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Park Schedules
more information on park schedules
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Maps
links to Mesa Verde National Park maps
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ARAMARK Bus Tours
Half-day bus tours are available
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Did You Know?
On a snowy December day in 1888, while ranchers Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason searched Mesa Verde’s canyons for stray cattle, they unexpectedly came upon Cliff Palace for the first time. The following year, the Wetherill brothers and Mason explored an additional 182 cliff dwellings.
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Last Updated: July 09, 2008 at 15:12 EST |
