Visiting in Summer

Cliff Palace

NPS/Spencer Burke

Summer is the Busy Season

Thousands of visitors from the United States and around the world come to Mesa Verde to explore and learn from this sacred landscape. Summer, unlike other seasons, offers evening programs with a ranger, night sky events, cliff dwelling tours, bird walks, plus cultural demonstations and events. Go the calendar page to see what events are happening during your visit.

If you don't have time for a cliff dwelling tour choose a self-guided tour. These explore mesa top sites, Step House, and Cedar Tree Tower.

Spruce Tree House Ranger Talks occur daily at 10 am, 2 pm, and 3pm. Meet on the covered porch of the building next to the museum for a conversation with a ranger about Spruce Tree House and more.

Drive to Park Point, the highest point in the park. Experience surround views of the park and across the region. Look inside a fire lookout.

 

Wander All Day and Wonder at Night

Visiting the ancestral sites is the primary focus of visitors. But sometimes the experience expands to the landscape, the diverse ecosystems and their inhabitants. Click the respective image below to learn more about stargazing, birding and hiking. Or click these links for geologic views, wildlife, and bicycling.

 

 

Experience Cliff Dwellings

Many cliff dwellings are visable from viewpoints and overlooks along Mesa Top Loop and Cliff Palace Loop. Overlooks provide opportunities to see even the most famous ones such as Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Square Tower House.

During Summer, another option for visiting cliff dwellings and mesa top sites is a trip to Wetherill, on the west side of the park. Visiting Wetherill Mesa, including drive time, may take all day, and sites are only seen by hiking or biking. There are travel restrictions and hours of operation. Watch a video about Wetherill, and learn what to expect, including weather, hiking with your dog, and bicycling.

There are also scheduled rangers tours of specific cliff dwellings. These tours are the only way to enter a cliff dwelling and they require advance reservations. Complete information about the sites and challenges of the tour, videos, and how to register is available on the Cliff Dwelling Tours webpage.