Mesa Verde National Park – What You Need To Know

Although people settled in Mesa Verde as far back as 550 CE, they built dwellings in the natural cliff alcoves around 1190 CE. By the end of the 1200s most had migrated away, and it’s not 100% sure why. It is said to most likely be due to a drought.

We drove around the top of the Mesa and learned about the various types of dwellings they built, first on top of the Mesa, and later in the cliffs. 

It’s important to note that you can only see parts of the park year round. There’s plenty to see “off-season”, though. Here is a summary of what you can see:

Mesa Top Loop Road (Spruce Tree House, Square Tower House, Pit Houses, Sun Point Pueblo, Sun Temple, Mesa Verde Museum, etc.) The road and visitor centers are open year-round, although they may have temporary closures due to snowfall. You can also visit the various kiva and pit dwellings. But to tour the cliff dwellings you must wait for early May until first snowfall. This is a 6-mile loop road. Keep in mind that there is a 20-mile winding road from the park entrance to get to this loop road. Since we were there before the tours began for the season we did a self-guided audio tour of this Mesa. We even met the Pueblo descendant, TJ Atsye, who did the audio tour. She was working in the Mesa Top visitor’s center.

Cliff Palace Loop Road (**Cliff Palace**, Balcony House, etc.). This 4-mile road is close to Mesa Top Loop Road, and is easy to visit at the same time. It is also open year-round, but the popular Cliff Palace is only accessible via tour, and only during May until first snow. The photo on the top left of Cliff Palace was taken from the overlook, which is accessible year round. I didn’t even need to zoom in.

Wetherill Mesa (Long House, Step House, Badger House, Tower Overlook, Petroglyphs, etc.). This 8-mile road is closed off in winter, and only accessible late May-early September. It is unpaved in some sections and can be narrow, so it’s best to drive carefully. The highlight of this mesa is the Long House.

The cliff dwellings can only be accessed via a guided tour. Visit NPS.org to make a reservation, and to check current conditions.