Skip to SearchSkip to NavigationSkip to BodySkip to Footer
National Park Service LogoU.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Park Service
National Park Service:  U.S. Department of the InteriorNational Park Service Arrowhead
Mesa Verde National ParkSunrise on Chapin Mesa
view map
text size:largestlargernormal
printer friendly

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Today, the park protects over 4,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

 
Balcony House

Visiting Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or Long House

Want to visit a Mesa Verde cliff dwelling? To go to Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or Long House, you will first need to purchase a tour ticket. Ranger-guided tours are offered seasonally, and provide you with the opportunity to hike into and experience these Ancestral Puebloan sites. Tour tickets can ONLY be purchased in person at the Far View Visitor Center. (From Oct. 10 to Nov. 8, tickets are available at the Chapin Museum.)
more...

 
Collage of seasons at Mesa Verde National Park

2008 Park Schedules

Mesa Verde National Park is open year-round, but some facilities, tours, and access to archeological sites are seasonal. To make the most out of your trip, take a look at the 2008 park schedules to see what will be available at the time of your visit.
more...

 
Mesa Verde Foundation Logo with Cliff Palace in the background.

The Mesa Verde Foundation

The Mesa Verde Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Mesa Verde National Park. Their web site contains information on the Foundation, the events they sponsor, and the Mesa Verde Visitor Information Center Project.
more...

 
Mesa Verde Museum Association logo

Mesa Verde Museum Association

The Mesa Verde Museum Association is a cooperating association and partner to Mesa Verde National Park that provides educational and interpretive material to visitors of the park.
more...

 

Write to

Mesa Verde National Park
P.O. Box 8
Mesa Verde, Colorado 81330

E-mail Us

Phone

Visitor Information
(970) 529-4465

Fax

(970) 529-4637

Climate

Mesa Verde National Park has mild to hot weather during summer months. During some winters, the weather is also mild. Snow storms can occur as late as May and as early as October, but usually both of these months are pleasant. June through September are warm to hot, with cool evenings. Afternoon thunderstorms are common during July and August.
more...
Skip to SearchSkip to NavigationSkip to BodySkip to Footer
Mesa top pueblo at Far View Sites Complex  

Did You Know?
Approximately 630 of the over 4700 archeological sites found in Mesa Verde National Park are cliff dwellings. Other sites include mesa top pueblos, farming terraces, towers, reservoirs, and check dams.

Last Updated: September 27, 2008 at 16:28 EST