Mesa Verde National Park - Anasazi Ruins - Cliff Dwellings

Operating Hours, Seasons
Open daily, year-round. Chapin Mesa Museum is open from 8AM to 6:30AM mid-April to mid-October; 8AM to 5PM the rest of the year. Far View Visitor Center is open from 8AM to 5PM mid-April to mid-October. Ranger-guided tours and self-guided tours are available in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Limited services are available in Winter.

Getting There
PLANE - The nearest airports are Cortez, Colorado, Durango, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico.

BY CAR - Mesa Verde National Park is in Southwestern Colorado. The Mesa Verde Headquarters is a one-hour drive from Cortez, Colorado, heading east on Highway 160 to the park turnoff, and a 1.5 hour drive from Durango, Colorado, heading west on Highway 160 to the park turnoff.

Weather & Climate
Spring--variable, 30s and snow or 70s and sunny. Summer-- temperatures can reach the 90s. Afternoon thunderstorms in July and August. Fall--still warm during the day, cool nights. A possibility of snow in October. Winter--below freezing at night. As much as 3 to 4 feet of snow. Snowpacked and icy conditions.

Accessibility
Mesa Verde has limitations in access for people with vision, hearing, or mobility impairments. Persons with heart or respiratory ailments may have breathing problems in the thin air at park altitudes of up to 8,500 feet.

Getting Around
A vehicle is needed to see Mesa Verde.

Fees

Entrance Fee
Use your National Parks Pass or Golden Pass (Age, Eagle and Access) for park entry!
learn more about passes...

Park Entrance Fee for Private Vehicles - $10.00 7 Days

Commercial Tour Fees for 1-6 Person Vehicle Capacity (not including driver)
$25.00+Fee for Each Person 7 Days
Fee good for 7 days only if tour maintains the same group of people for each re-entry.

Commercial Tour Fees for 16-25 Person Vehicle Capacity (not including driver)
$100.00 7 Days
Fee good for 7 days only if tour maintains the same group of people for each re-entry.

Commerical Tour Fees for 7-15 Person Vehicle Capacity (not including driver)
$75.00 7 Days
Fee good for 7 days only if tour maintains the same group of people for each re-entry.

Commercial Tour Fees for 26+ Person Vehicle Capacity (not including driver)
$200.00 7 Days
Fee good for 7 days only if tour maintains the same group of people for each re-entry.

Activity Fee
Ranger-Guided Tour Fee - $2.00 One Time
Fee per person per ranger-guided tour of either Cliff Palace or Balcony House and Long House. Note that there are also free ranger-guided tours of other sites available.