Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde Park is located in southwestern Colorado halfway between Cortez and Mancos, Colorado. These ancient ruins provide a unique view into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who called this area home for over 700 years from 600 AD to 1300 AD. Mesa Verde Park protects over 4,000 archeological sites including hundreds of cliff dwellings.
On June 29, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park to "preserve the works of man," the first national park of its kind. Today, Mesa Verde National Park continues to preserve the culture and natural resources of this area once home to the Ancestral Pueblo people.
When you first get to the site, it is wise to check in at the Visitor Center to acquaint yourself with what you will see. The Visitor Center has exhibits that explain the American Indian cultures present in the Four Corners area of the United States. Park Rangers at the Visitor Center can help you plan your exploration of the Park.
To truly experience Mesa Verde Park, take a guided tour with professionally-trained tour guides. These guides can help explain the theories of the origin of the people who lived here and how they managed to thrive in this hostile environment. Alternatively, you can elect to tour at your own pace. However, you should be aware that this particular national monument was set up as an archaeological preserve, so you are only allowed on particular hiking trails and in certain areas of the preserve.
Mesa Verde National Park, Weather
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