Mesa Verde National Park
National park · Montezuma County ·
Preserved cliff dwellings, ancient history, scenic canyon views
Information
Colorado Get directions
Preserved cliff dwellings, ancient history, scenic canyon views
Colorado Get directions
"In southwestern Colorado, this UNESCO World Heritage site preserves elaborate Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings—complex homes with kivas and irrigation systems—tucked beneath sandstone overhangs, offering a rare, intimate connection to ancient history. Open daily year-round, the park requires no entry reservation (seven-day passes are $20 in the low season and $30 in the high season), but stepping inside the renowned dwellings is by ranger-guided tour from May to October, bookable up to 14 days ahead. Expect long distances—historic sites are at least a 45-minute drive from the Highway 160 entrance—and plan accordingly: the park is cashless and, as Brian Bartlett notes, it’s best to gas up before you come. The best visits tend to be in late spring or early fall, with summer bringing reliable weather, wildflowers, and wildlife, and winter offering snowy solitude (though many facilities close, with options like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing). Thanks to high elevation, arid air, and distance from towns, the night skies are inky black—Mesa Verde is an International Dark Sky Park with occasional ranger-led stargazing sessions—and Morefield Campground is ideal for viewing. Getting here typically means flying into CEZ, DRO, or FMN and renting a car, and out of respect for the park’s 26 affiliated tribes and fragile sites, it’s essential to avoid touching or sitting on walls and to leave artifacts where they are." - Evie Carrick Evie Carrick Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A UNESCO World Heritage site preserving some of North America's oldest human dwellings built by the Ancestral Pueblo people more than 700 years ago; the park showcases exceptionally well-preserved cliff dwellings, ceremonial kivas, irrigation features and deep cultural ties to 26 affiliated tribes. Visitors can hike, drive scenic routes, join ranger-guided cliff dwelling tours (May–October; must be booked up to 14 days in advance), or enjoy outstanding night skies as an International Dark Sky Park. The park is open year-round with seven-day vehicle passes ($20 low season, $30 high season); many services and facilities close in winter, the park is cashless, and fuel is scarce inside, so plan accordingly. Guests are asked to treat ancestral sites with respect by not touching walls or removing artifacts." - Evie Carrick Evie Carrick Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A unique national park home to ancient Native American cave dwellings—presented as an educational and fascinating stop that will captivate both kids and adults." - Jill Krasny Jill Krasny Jill Krasny is a journalist based in New York. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Esquire, The Financial Times, and Travel + Leisure. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"A vegetarian restaurant, but don’t let that deter you if you aren’t a full time vegetarian. Their menu is full of aspirational plant-based dishes, is 100% organic, and the restaurant itself is casual and welcoming with a very friendly staff. There are dishes on the menu influenced by the cuisines from Spain, Sicily, North Africa and the Middle East, and each dish is beautifully presented, tasting just as good as it looks. I recommend the Rajas Tacos, made with grilled poblano and spanish onion, black beans, smoked vegetables, butternut nacho cheese, pickled carrot, cilantro, radish and avocado, Or the Falafel sandwich, made with hummus, mixed greens, cucumber, mint, red onion, pickled beet and tahini. Yum!" - Amanda Proudfit
"These ancestral Pueblo lands contain hundreds of cliff‑dwelling archaeological sites built from local sandstone; the park offers an unusually vivid window into ancient Southwestern life, with preserved masonry, decorative plasters and multiroom structures that illustrate long‑standing building traditions and community organization." - Adam Lapetina Adam Lapetina Adam Lapetina is a Chicago-based writer, editor, and content strategist who works in the travel, food and drink, and lifestyle spaces. His work has appeared in HuffPost, MSN, Yahoo, Travel + Leisure, and Thrillist. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines