Mesa Verde National Park preserves the cliff dwellings and surface sites of the Anasazi, or ancestral Puebloan people, who lived in the area between 500 and 1300. Mesa Verde means "green table" in Spanish.
Fourteen centuries of history are displayed at Mesa Verde National Park, a world center for exploring the ancient culture of the Ancestral Puebloan people. Established by Congress in 1906, Mesa Verde is the first national park set aside in order to preserve the work of humankind. In 1978, UNESCO, an organization formed by the United Nations to preserve and protect the cultural and natural heritage of international sites, designated Mesa Verde as a World Cultural Heritage Park. |
| Elevation: |
Ranges from 6,400 feet in the deep canyons to 8,500 feet at Park Point. |
| Fees: |
See Fees and Reservations for current rates. |
| Hours: |
- Entrance road open daily.
- Cliff dwelling loop drive open daily from 7:00 a.m. to sunset.
- Cliff Palace/Balcony House Loop open only for cross-country skiing or walking in Winter.
- Cliff Palace is generally open from April through October.
- Balcony House is open from mid-May through mid-October.
- Wetherill Mesa Road is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, daily, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- See Operating Hours and Seasons for current information.
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| Visitor Center: |
Open from April through October, daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Facilities: |
Visitor center, museum, amphitheaters, kiosk, gas station, gift shops, laundry, picnic areas with grates, post office, campground, showers, and groceries. |
| Directions: |
The Park entrance is midway between Cortez and Mancos on US 160. It is 21 miles from the entrance to the museum and the Chapin Mesa ruins area. The Morefield Campground is 4 miles from the entrance. The Far View Visitor Center is 15 miles from the entrance.
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| Coordinates: |
Map Coordinates (NAD83): 37 14.472 N; 108 28.48 W. |
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