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Mesa Verde National ParkFar View Sites Complex
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Mesa Verde National Park
Directions

Plane

The nearest airports are Cortez, Colorado, Durango, Colorado, and Farmington, New Mexico.

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.

Public Transportation

The closest bus terminal is located in Durango, Colorado. Car rental is needed to get from the bus terminal to the park. The entrance to Mesa Verde is 35 miles from Durango.

Getting Around

A vehicle is needed to see Mesa Verde.

The first view of a cliff dwelling is 21 miles (approximately 45 minutes) past the entrance station along a steep, narrow, winding road.
Baron Gustaf Nordenskiold  

Did You Know?
In 1891, Swedish scientist Gustaf Nordenskiold studied, explored, and photographed many of Mesa Verde’s cliff dwellings. Considered by many to be the first true archeologist at Mesa Verde, his book, "The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde," was the first extensive record of its cliff dwellings.

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Last Updated: July 25, 2006 at 00:23 EST