Mesa Verde National Park
Official park boundary · National Park Service
For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 27 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth.
Mesa Verde National Park is a national park of the United States and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, and the only World Heritage Site in Colorado. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan ancestral sites in the United States.
Mesa Verde National Park is in Southwest Colorado. The park entrance and the Visitor and Research Center are located ten miles east of Cortez, nine miles west of Mancos, and about 35 miles west of Durango, Colorado along Hwy 160. Mesa top ancestral sites, Cliff dwellings, tours, and the Mesa Verde Museum are 20 to 21 miles (approximately 45 minutes) south along the park road which which is steep, narrow, and winding.
SPRING: This season offers a range of weather including clear skies, wind, rain, cloudy days and temperatures from 40–70°F (4–21° C). Snow may fall into May. SUMMER: Most days are sunny and temperatures can reach above 90°F (32°C) . Thunderstorms are common in July and August. FALL: Temperatures range from 50–75°F (10–24°C). Snow may fall as early as October. WINTER: Temps range from the teens to low 30s F (below -1°C) . Icy roads are common. Snow tires, all-wheel drive, or chains may be required.
Source: National Park Service
Valid for 7 days.
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
Valid for 7 days.
Purchase digital park entrance passes on recreation.gov at no additional cost. Once purchased, passes for Mesa Verde National Park must be printed or saved on your mobile device prior to use.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
- Visit Mesa Verde's Historic Administrative District
Take a walk amid the early park structures that comprise the Historic Administrative District of Mesa Verde National Park. Established in 1987 the historic district comprises structures with architectural designs based in strong indigenous cultural traditions and blend into their environment.
- Explore the Mesa Top Loop Road
The 6-mile (10 km) Mesa Top Loop takes you through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. From remains of early pithouses and masonry villages to multi-storied cliff dwellings, the archeological sites along this loop show how early Pueblo architecture evolved.
Source: National Park Service
- Morefield Campground
- Mesa Verde Museum
- Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center
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