Mesa Verde National Park is located approximately 9 miles east of Cortez and just west of Mancos, Colorado on US Highway 160. Some of the hiking trails take you right into the actual cliff dwellings and many viewpoints around Mesa Verde give you a good view of the sites.

Mesa Verde has a seasonal campground and lodge which serve as an excellent base camp when visiting Mesa Verde National Park. Go to our Mesa Verde lodging page for accommodations located outside of the park.

The ruins of Mesa Verde are perhaps the most well preserved ruins in the United States. From 600 AD to 1300 AD, the Ancestral Puebloan people made this canyon country their home by building among the cliffs, as well as on top of the mesa. Today, there are over 4,000 archaeological sites and 600 cliff dwellings protected within Mesa Verde National Park.