Planning a Trip

Entry -- The park entrance is located on U.S. 160, 10 miles east of Cortez and 6 miles west of Mancos.

Fees & Regulations -- Admission to the park for up to 1 week costs $15 per vehicle in spring and summer, $10 fall and winter. Motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians must pay $8 in spring and summer, $5 in fall and winter. Tours of Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House are $3; ranger-guided tours of other areas are free. To protect the many archaeological sites, the Park Service has outlawed backcountry camping and off-trail hiking. It's also illegal to enter cliff dwellings without a ranger present. The Wetherill Mesa Road cannot accommodate vehicles longer than 25 feet. Cyclists must have lights to pedal through the tunnel on the entrance road.

Visitor Centers & Information -- Chapin Mesa, site of the park headquarters, museum, and a post office, is 20 miles from the park entrance on U.S. 160. The Far View Visitor Center, site of Far View Lodge, a restaurant, gift shop, and other facilities, is 15 miles off U.S. 160. For a park brochure, contact Mesa Verde National Park, P.O. Box 8, Mesa Verde, CO 81330 (tel. 970/529-4465; www.nps.gov/meve).

Hours & Seasons -- The park is open daily year-round, but full interpretive services are available only from mid-June to Labor Day. In winter, the Mesa Top Road and museum remain open, but many other facilities are closed. The Far View Visitor Center is open from mid-April through mid-October only, from 8am to 5pm daily. The Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum is open daily from 8am to 6:30pm from early April through early October, daily from 8am to 5pm the rest of the year.

Avoiding the Crowds -- With close to half a million visitors annually, Mesa Verde seems packed at times, but the numbers are much lower just before and after the summer rush, usually from June 15 to August 15. Another way to beat the crowds is to make the 12-mile drive to Wetherill Mesa, which attracts only a small percentage of park visitors.

Ranger Programs -- In addition to guided tours to the cliff dwellings , rangers give nightly campfire programs at Morefield Campground in summer.

Keeping Fido Safe & Happy -- While there's plenty to do for human visitors to Mesa Verde National Park, the U.S. Park Service is not very welcoming to canine friends and prohibits them on all trails. (The only exceptions are for service dogs, such as Seeing Eye dogs.) This means that if you want to explore the park, you'll need to leave your dogs behind. Fortunately, there are several kennels in the area, including The Dog Hotel, 33350 Colo. 184, Mancos (tel. 970/882-5416), which is a well-run facility, open 7 days a week, that also offers accommodations for cats. Appointments are necessary, and pet owners must have proof of current vaccinations.