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The main park road is 20-miles. It is steep and winding, with shady curves that are often icy night and day. Watch for and yield to snowplows that may be operating on park roads. Snow tires, all-wheel drive, or chains may be required; if so, signs will be posted near the entrance station. The Colorado Department of Transportation has info about vehicle traction and chain laws which apply in the park and the surrounding area when warranted.
Food Service and Lodging:
The only available food service is on the mesa top at Spruce Tree Terrace Café (near the Mesa Verde Museum). Visit the concessioner's website for hours and menu. There is no overnight camping or lodging in the park. Accommodations are available in the nearby communities of Mancos and Cortez.
For Questions:
Check linked webpages for facility hours and closures.
Mesa Verde National Park (Main road open 24/7) - (970) 529-4465 Mesa Verde Museum - (970) 529-4631 Visitor and Research Center - (970) 529-5037
For Emergencies:
Call 911. For non-emergency situations you may contact the Chief Ranger's Office, 970-529-4461, 7 days a week, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Cell coverage is limited throughout the park.
Some park facilities remain open all through the year. Check for opening hours on the website!
NPS
Explore On Your Own
All activities during this time are self-guided and depend on road, trail, and weather conditions. It is approximately a 45-minute drive from the park entrance to the sites listed below. Cliff Dwellings are not open during winter. Some are veiwable from overlooks on the Mesa Top Loop Road. If you're planning on hiking any of the hiking trails, traction devices are recommended whenever snow or icy conditions exist.
Mesa Top Loop Road
Open daily 8:00 am to sunset. The Mesa Top Loop Road is a 6-mile (10 km) drive through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. There are eleven stops along the drive. Some with paved trails to covered, archeological sites. There are views of cliff dwellings including Cliff palace and Square Tower House, and canyon vistas. During snow storms, the loop may temporarily close until the road and walkways are cleared.
There are exhibits at each site. A brochure is available at the first stop with additional information about archeology. To enrich your experience even more, download this audio tour in advance, Mesa Top Loop Drive: A Pueblo Perspective. Upon your arrival at the mesa Top Loop Drive, listen along in your car or on your phone as you rach each stop..
Spruce Tree House Overlook
Spruce Tree House is the park’s third largest and best-preserved cliff dwelling. Constructed between 1211 and 1278, it was built into a natural alcove. It contains 130 rooms, eight kivas, and may have housed 60 to 80 people.
Follow the signs to the best point near the Mesa Verde Museum to see Spruce Tree House. The trail to a lower viewpoint is short but steep, and often very icy. There is no entry into Spruce Tree House.
Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center
Step inside to warm up before or after your drive into the park. Watch the park film. Explore the exhibits. Check the Visitor and Research Center webpage for directions and hours.
