Mesa Verde National Park is full of human history. While many national parks focus on hiking, nature, and amazing views, Mesa Verde was the first national park to be dedicated to human history. The big draw of Mesa Verde National Park is the cliff dwellings which are the homes of the Ancestral Pueblo people and at this park you’ll not only see these impressive cliff dwellings from a distance, but you can also get up close on one of the tours offered by the National Park Service. And yes, you will still find some beautiful mountain views.
The park is spread out, so you’ll want to do some proper planning so you can manage your time most effectively. While there’s much more to do at this park than can be covered with just one day, this itinerary will focus on just one day at Mesa Verde National Park.
One Day at Mesa Verde National Park
This is not the itinerary I followed at Mesa Verde National Park. During my visit, I had two half days, instead of one full day. Given the amount of driving that’s necessary to get to some of the top sights, I had to prioritize and be strategic on how I spent my time. If your road trip itinerary requires you to do two half days instead, I’ll cover how I did that later on in this post.
8:00 – Arrive at Mesa Verde National Park
Enter Mesa Verde National Park and start driving south. Stop at the Visitor Center (near the entrance) if you need to, but otherwise, head south toward the main attractions in the park. Our first stop will be the Spruce Tree Loop and the Overlook of Spruce Tree Dwelling.
You’ll pass numerous viewpoints along the way, but for now, just enjoy the views from your car. You’ll have plenty of time to stop on the way back out of the park.
8:45 – Spruce Tree Loop and Overlook of Spruce Tree Dwelling
This could be considered a scenic drive, but the big draw here is to get a look at the Spruce Tree Cliff Dwelling, the first of several dwellings that you’ll see today. The dwelling itself is currently undergoing some restoration work so you won’t be able to get too close, but you can still hike down to get a view from a distance.
10:00 – Cliff Palace Loop and Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
This is a short, pretty easy hike that takes you to three viewpoints over the Soda Canyon. I logged 1.3 miles and 100 feet of elevation change over the course of a half hour. The views are nice, but if I’m honest, I think the Point Lookout Trail (which we’ll hike later) offer better views. Still, since it’s still early in your day at Mesa Verde National Park, I think the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail is a great addition.
11:30 – Cliff Palace Dwelling Tour
There are several cliff dwellings that you can tour at Mesa Verde National Park. The most popular is Cliff Palace and that’s the one I’m including on this itinerary. It short, but interesting tour and works perfectly in this one day itinerary.
The tour lasts 30 minutes and costs $8 per person. You’ll tour the Cliff Palace, climbing down steps and then back up ladders. Rangers are stationed at the various points along the route to give you more information. So rather than one ranger taking a group of people around, the group of people gets slowly guided from ranger to ranger.
I highly recommend taking a tour at Mesa Verde National Park. Yes, you can see many of these dwellings from a distance, but I think it’s more impressive to see them up close and really grasp the scale. Plus with the rangers providing context and answering questions, you get to learn a lot more about these cliff dwellings and the Ancestral Pueblo people.
12:15 – Mesa Top Loop
This is another scenic drive that offers more views of cliff dwellings and the surrounding scenery. It’s also the only item on this list that I don’t have first hand experience with because the Mesa Top loop was closed during my visit. Now that it’s open, I don’t think that should stop you from experiencing the drive, so get out there and see everything that I couldn’t.
On the Mesa Top Loop, you’ll get the opportunity for more overlooks of the surrounding mountains, glimpses of more cliff dwellings, and several other structures that were built by the Ancestral Pueblo people.
12:45 – To Point Lookout Trail
Now it’s time to start working your way back out of the park. Do you remember all of those pullouts that you passed as you drove to the back of the park? It’s time to stop and take in all of those views. Your big goal is to get to the Point Lookout Trailhead for your final hike of the day, but take your time. Stop and enjoy the views along the way.
I don’t have any specific views to recommend because there are so many good stops. However, I do have to give a special mention to the Mancos Overlook. I met one lady who could not stop raving about this view. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great view, but I’m not sure if it’s the best in the entire park. But you should visit and decide for yourself.
2:00 – Point Lookout Trail
This is the last big activity of the day and it’s the Point Lookout Trail. This was my favorite trail at Mesa Verde National Park because the view was excellent. Admittedly this was one of the first viewpoints I had at the park, but it remained a favorite during my entire stay.
The Point Lookout trail is 2.2 miles and over this out-and-back trail, I gained about 550 feet of elevation. I wouldn’t call the trail difficult, but if you’re still adjusting to the altitude like I was, you may find yourself huffing and puffing a bit more than you might expect. Hike out, enjoy the view, and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.
When I hiked this trail, it was about 1:00 pm when I reached the main overlook. The trail was delightfully uncrowded and that just added to my experience. I hope that the trail is still like that and you can enjoy it as much as I did.
3:00 – Finishing Your Day
After the Point Lookout Trail, your day at Mesa Verde National Park is complete. Continue working your way out of the park, stopping at any other viewpoints that look interesting.
With More Time
With more time, there’s still more to see at Mesa Verde National Park. This itinerary skipped Long House, Step House, and all of the viewpoints along Wetherill Mesa Road. Admittedly I haven’t visited this part of the park because I ran out of time. Mesa Verde National Park is spread out, so some things just have to be pushed off so you don’t spend all day in the car (although this one day itinerary does have a lot of driving involved).
Optional Variation
I didn’t exactly follow the above itinerary. Because of the way things lined up in my Colorado road trip, I had two half days, rather than one full day at Mesa Verde National Park. This is what my itinerary looked like.
Day 1
12:00 – Arrive at Mesa Verde
12:30 – Start Point Lookout Trail
1:30 – Finish trail and a break at my car. From here, I worked my way back out of the park, stopping at all of the view points along the way.
2:30 – Arrive back at Visitor Center/Front Gate
3:00 – Check into my hotel in Cortez and get dinner
Day 2
7:00 – Depart Cortez
7:30 – Arrive at Mesa Verde
8:15 – Spruce Tree Loop (partial) and Overlook of Spruce Tree Dwelling
9:00 – Cliff Palace Loop/Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
10:30 – Cliff Palace Dwelling Tour
11:00 – Work my way out of the park, stopping at view points
12:30 – Depart Mesa Verde and drive to Montrose for Black Canyon National Park
Entrance Fees
Entrance to Mesa Verde National Park is $30 per vehicle for a 7 day pass. The America the Beautiful Pass is also accepted.
Note that your entrance fee does not include tours of any of the cliff dwellings. Those tickets need to be purchased separately and can be done online in advance from the official website.
Cliff Dwelling Tour Tickets
Your entrance fee does not include any tours for the cliff dwellings. If you want to tour one of the cliff dwellings (and I recommend that you do), you need to purchase your ticket in advance. Tickets are available fourteen days prior to the day of your visit and are sold as first come first serve. Do not forget to purchase your tickets. Once they are gone, they are gone and you won’t be able to get a tour.
I personally recommend setting a reminder in your phone to pick up your tickets as soon as they go on sale. Obviously availability will change based on the day you are traveling, but when I visited in early September, I went to purchase my tickets about a week before and was shocked to find that I was limited on which tour times were still available. Don’t wait and buy your tickets when they go on sale.
Getting Around Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is very spread out. From the entrance just off of Highway 160 to the cliff dwellings is a nearly one hour drive. You will need to have your own vehicle to get around the park.
Because of these distances, it’s a really good idea to plan out your day in advance. That’s not to say that you can’t change your plans on the day, but given distances and set tour times, you really want to make sure that you have plenty of time to get to where you need to be (especially if you’ve purchased tickets for a tour).
When to Visit Mesa Verde National Park
The biggest thing to note is that tours are not offered all year round. If you’re going to visit, I recommend visiting between May and October as that’s when you’ll get a chance to do the tour and see the cliff dwellings up close.
I visited in the first week of September and it was very hot. If you can, I think going a little later in the month would be ideal.
Where to Stay at Mesa Verde National Park
I stayed in the town of Cortez, which was only a twenty-five minute drive west of Mesa Verde. The town of Mancos (which is 20 minutes east of Mesa Verde) also has some options. Inside the park, you’ll find the Far View Lodge. This lodge offers rooms and I later found out that it wasn’t much more than what I spent to stay in Cortez. Had I known that in advance, there’s a good chance I would have stayed here just to save on driving time and to allow myself more time in the park.
Final Thoughts
Mesa Verde National Park feels different from many other parks. Yes there is nature, but the emphasis feels more focused on the Ancestral Pueblo people who once called this place home (and rightfully so). But even with one day at Mesa Verde, you’ll be able to experience a lot of the top highlights, both nature and historical.
Continue Your Adventure
Colorado National Parks: Mesa Verde is one of four national parks in Colorado. Don’t miss the amazing views at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, the sandboarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park, and the epic hikes at Rocky Mountain National Park.
Colorado Itineraries: For an epic road trip through Colorado, check out this 10 day itinerary. Or if you don’t have ten days, try one of these 5 day Colorado itineraries.
More in Colorado: One of the best things about Colorado is its plethora of scenic drives. Check out my list of favorites. Plus, check out my Colorado Travel Guide for everything you need to start planning your trip.
US National Parks: Start planning your national park vacation with my US National Park Travel Guide. You’ll find information about each park, photos, itineraries, budget tips, advice for non-hikers, and more. Plus, don’t forget to book your timed entry reservations in advance!