Series: Condition of Selected Natural Resources at Mesa Verde National Park: A 2025 Assessment

Mesa Verde National Park was the first national park preserved for its cultural values. The ecological values and natural resources that attracted Ancestral Puebloans hundreds of years ago remain important today. A recent Natural Resource Condition Assessment evaluated six resources at the park—birds; elk and mule deer; rare plants; springs and seeps; the Mancos River; and upland vegetation. See how these resources are doing in 2025.

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 1: Condition of Selected Natural Resources at Mesa Verde National Park: A 2025 Assessment

  

  Mesa Verde National Park was the first national park preserved for its cultural values. The ecological values and natural resources that attracted Ancestral Puebloans hundreds of years ago remain important today. A recent Natural Resource Condition Assessment evaluated six resources at the park—birds; elk and mule deer; rare plants; springs and seeps; the Mancos River; and upland vegetation. See how these resources are doing in 2025. Read more

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 2: Raptors and Songbirds and Hummingbirds, Oh My! Assessing the Condition of Birds at Mesa Verde National Park

  

  Mesa Verde National Park’s variety of bird habitat leads to a variety of birds! A recent project looked at three groups of birds in the park—raptors, or birds of prey; passerines, or songbirds; and hummingbirds. A gap analysis for raptors provided an update on what we know and don’t know about them, while condition assessments for passerines and hummingbirds studied their current conditions. Read more

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 3: 2025 Condition Assessment Findings for Elk and Mule Deer at Mesa Verde National Park

  

  Colorado has the largest elk population in the world. A recent project took a look at what we know and don’t know about elk and mule deer in Mesa Verde National Park. The project findings will help guide planning, stewardship, and management actions in the park for these two species. Read more

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 4: Rare Plants in a Colorado Rare-Plant Hot Spot—Mesa Verde National Park

  

  Mesa Verde National Park is one of eight locations in Colorado that has a high proportion of rare plants, including those that grow nowhere else. A recent project looked at how these plants are doing within the park, what factors affect them, and whether there are gaps in our knowledge. Read more

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 5: What do we Know about the Condition of Springs and Seeps at Mesa Verde National Park?

  

  Springs in the southwestern U.S. provide essential water and habitat for wildlife. In Mesa Verde National Park, they also include some regionally rare groups of plants. A recent project looked at how springs and seeps are doing in the park, what factors affect them, and whether there are gaps in our knowledge. Read more

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 6: A 2025 Check-up for the Mancos River in Mesa Verde National Park

  

  The Mancos River flows through five miles of eastern Mesa Verde National Park. The river and the plant communities along it provide unique habitat for many species and offer other ecological benefits. A recent project looked at how the river is doing by studying four components of the river: water quality, macroinvertebrates, fish, aquatic habitat, and the riparian corridor. Read more

• Mesa Verde National Park

  Article 7: The Condition of Pinyon-Juniper Woodlands and other Upland Communities at Mesa Verde National Park, 2025

  

  Mesa Verde National Park is dominated by upland habitats, including pinyon-juniper woodlands with trees more than 500 years old. The National Park Service and its partners recently carried out a project to study the condition of pinyon-juniper woodlands and other upland vegetation within the park. Read more