Top 36 things to do and attractions in Mesa Verde National Park

This was so great to see! We didn't hike all the way down because we had little kids and it was hot outside but we got close enough. So awesome. I'm so glad we came! There is a bathroom not too far from here. And a museum, an old post office, and a ranger station.

To see this was our main reason for visiting the park. wasn't able to see it up close because the trail is closed but there is a nice observation area just across from it for good photos and the trail head is near the gift shop/museum. I highly recommend a visit to this NP!

Make sure you thoroughly research any national parks you're going to before taking to Google maps to post negative reviews because you can't bother to see on the NPS website that this location has been closed indefinitely for 7 years due to safety concerns. Even from a distance, this is still pretty spectacular to see. There's a pretty great overlook just behind the museum and offices - it's a little steep, but it is paved, and only a few hundred feet from the road. We were hiking the Petroglyph Point Trail and thought maybe there'd be a better vantage point down in the canyon, but (at least in July) the trees are almost too dense to see anything especially well.

You can view the Spruce tree house from distance behind the museum. I wish if I could go there but they have closed the trail and do not allow any visitors to go near Spruce tree hiuse due to safety concerns. There are no tours for this place but it is amaong to see the structures :)

Closed until 2019 due to efforts to the NPS's efforts to stabilize and protect this treasure, but it was open when I last went and it was wonderful, and had the added bonus of being the largest major ruin you could visit on a self-guided tour. Currently, there is a good view of the ruins you can access. Don't miss it.

I enjoyed watch a sudden thunderstorm over the Spruce Tree House, there were two instant waterfalls next to the Spruce Tree House and right over it. You instantly realized why the ancient natives selected this place for dwelling, maybe easy access to rain falls and water collection? I even caught a lightning on my video, it was awesome! Cheers!

Do the guided tour! You get to walk down to the ruins, and hear so much of the story of the lives of the people who lived there. So much knowledge, and facts you don't get on your own. The bus takes you there and back, and it's worth a day or half day of exploring!!

The tour is definitely worth it and Mesa Verde is a great park with tremendous cultural heritage. My only complaint would be that the park service guide talks continuously, so there is no time for reflection or a chance to just soak up the site. Would be nice if they left a little time for folks to be able to look around in quiet and just “be there” to imagine what it was like 700 years ago. (For clarity, there is no way to view the Balcony House except on a guided tour.)

Overall a cool experience. It’s a big tour group and you don’t really get to explore anything other than just listening to the ranger talk and then taking some photos. Really neat to see and if this is something you’re into you’d probably love it. Climbing the ladders if you’re not used to the elevation can definitely gas you out! They weren’t really hard to do and I wouldn’t say anything was challenging but it’s a little scary climbing up with someone in front of you and thinking they may fall on you… lol. It was nice and sunny when we did it, I would not want to go while things are wet. If you look up balcony house in google maps you can go there and that’s the area you will meet you’ll see a shaded area towards the trail head.

Awesome place to take the kids. Make sure you get the reservation. Bring sunscreen, and some water. The walk there is not strenuous but if you are not mild to moderately active you may have a hard time going up the ladders. But the main thing is reserve online before for the guided tour or else you won't be able to go. Such an awesome place

This is potentially the most strenuous tour on the Mesa Verde Park. It is best in the afternoon due to sun placement. You will climb up a forty foot ladder, go through a door and crawlspace about the side of a large picture frame. If you are willing to take the challenge, you will have experienced something most visitors never see. The site is impressive and the tourguide was outstanding.

It was a wonderful fun adventure climbing, crawling and climbing through the ancient ruins. Our Ranger guide did an exceptional job telling us about the Puebloan culture and ruins

This tour is amazing. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. If you're afraid of heights, and can't climb ladders this is not your tour.

I really liked the tour. You have to drive close to 40 mins from the entrance of the park. Ranger Frank was really nice in explaining the details and the background of Mesa Verde. He was eleborative and briefed us about what we can expect at the start of the tour. It is amazing to see how people used to live hundreds of years back.

🌄 Absolutely Worth the Visit – Cliff Palace is a Must-See! 🏺✨ If you’re visiting Mesa Verde, Cliff Palace is THE highlight you can’t miss! It’s truly a step back in time – standing in front of those ancient cliff dwellings is absolutely surreal. You must see it with your own eyes to believe it. 🎟️ TRAVELER TIP: Make sure to buy your $8 ticket in advance on recreation.gov — it’s the only way to access the site and tours book up fast! The tour is ranger-guided and filled with fascinating facts about the Ancestral Puebloans who built this breathtaking structure. 🚗 It’s a 20-mile scenic drive from the park entrance to Cliff Palace, so plan accordingly. I recommend the early morning tour – not only is it cooler and more shaded, but the lighting makes the views even more magical! 💧 No hiking trails around this area, and no water nearby, so come prepared with your own refillable bottle. 🚻 Bathrooms near the site were very stinky during our visit – just a heads-up! 🏞️ The visitor center, however, was a pleasant surprise: super clean, with great exhibits, awesome souvenirs, and seriously delicious food! Great spot to recharge before or after the tour. ⛰️ Whether you're a history buff or a nature lover, Cliff Palace is a unique adventure that’s 100% worth it. Just plan ahead, come early, and soak it all in!

Definitely worth the tour reservation fee. I would say the reservation is a requirement because most tours are full and will not be able to accept walk-ups. We went the end of September, so it was warm, not hot. We were expecting cold and rainy, but the forecast change that morning. We arrived early ended up listening to the one ranger and almost discourage people from going on the tour due to a variety of possible health issues. We did not receive the same speech from our tour guide, just basics regarding being able to climb the ladders. I would recommend a good pair of shoes, as there is sand on the rock stairs on the way down and up. My wife is definitely afraid of heights, but has very little issue in climbing any of the ladders, so this should not dissuade you in going. The history is interesting, and should almost be reverent in realizing we are more alike as humans than we are different. I was wondering about the lighting for photography. We wanted an earlier start, and we didn't have to fight with half shadows. But I am still wondering if the late afternoon shadows provide added texture to the photos in general... Thoroughly enjoyed our tour at Cliff Palace.

Reservations required! You can go to recreation.gov and tickets are $8/person. There are also restrooms and water available at this trailhead. I’m afraid of heights, and did just fine with the ladders on this tour, so don’t worry too much about that. Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America and I loved learning about the history of the ancestral Pueblo peoples. Mesa Verde in general is such a unique place, and a must stop if you’re in the area.

Was a cool experience to be able to see how people lived in the cliff dwellings. You don’t really get to explore or take photos, just kinda listen to the ranger talk about the history and walk through. It was a nice experience, but wasn’t overall exciting.

Beautiful view of Cliff Palace. We took a visit mid-November and it was crowd-less which was nice. It’s a long drive to these views but worth it, bring snacks and a lunch. Stop at the visitor center, get your passport book stamped and then head into the park.

Absolutely worth the $8/person tour! Must be able to climb ladders and walk up/down steep steps! Definitely wear good hiking/active shoes

This was my favorite tour of the 3 we did. If your can only do one, this is the one! Ranger Jay was so knowledgeable and engaging. I was never bored listening to her speak! The exit out of the dwelling was really cool and a fun experience with ladders and ancient stairs climbing between boulders

One of the best preserved dwelling in the park and a great view from this point

A nice lookout over the ruins. We just did a drive through of the park and this was one of our stops.

Well preserved! The hike itself is brief, but be prepared for steep descents and ladders.

If you have time and not afraid of heights or ladders, this is potentially one of the most impressive sites and tours. Our Tour guide was outstanding providing both insight to the Stone Tower house and more recent history. If you take the tour, you will climb down stone inserts into the area, and walk a similar path to the original occupants. Tour groups are small and time of day is important. If possible take the morning tour just because of sun placement. (Takes about 2 hours)

It was a great experience to see what the native people were capable so long ago

Intimate site. This hike was slightly challenging to me as a novice. Still easy enough. Beautiful stone masonry and a delightful view of the valley.

You have to get a permit no more than 2 weeks of visiting the park. This is worth the trip.

We didn’t go specifically to this center but rather took the route around the area and pretty much stopped at every turnout. We are older so hiking is out of the realm but the vistas at these stops are wonderful and well worth it. We do not feel as though we missed out on anything knowing that the main area of settlement was inaccessible for us. There is so much to see and the roads are terrific. Bravo to our Park Service.

Highly recommend a quick stop at the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center before heading into the park. It's a great opportunity to talk with the rangers and get valuable information before you start the 20-mile drive up to the main sites. A key thing to remember is that this visitor center is located outside the national park entrance. ​Once inside the park, you can also find a museum and a café where you can talk to a ranger and get more information.

Unique National Park! A must visit if you are close enough. We visited on a Tuesday morning and it wasn’t crowded. Drove the northern loop and stopped and explored the overlooks and scenic areas. I would like to come back and do some serious hiking. Highly recommended!!

I was in shock by how well preserved their dwellings were! So many cool places to visit within the caverns! It’s amazing to think people just left and here sits all this rich history. It was so beautiful to see close up! This had been on my husband’s bucket list for a while! Drink plenty of water!

The Cliff Palace tour was interesting and not as difficult as I thought it would be. The four ladders you climb are about 7 ft. The guide goes over the difficulty level before you start out. You have to leave plenty of time to drive to the start of the tour which is about 20 miles of twisting climbs up the mountain with some overlooks that are spectacular.

A good place to start your journey: rangers, information, gift shop, and bathroom. Oddly, our tour manager bought us there at end of our trip (after lunch). The snowy peaks in the background is San Juan Mountain. The 2012 cast bronze sculpture is 20' / 6m tall, by Edward James Fraughton (1939-2024), an American artist and inventor.

Great visitor center. We love being able to drive through the park and visit sites. We did the hike to the petroglyphs. It took 2+ hours. Some was way some was pretty intense. It was a great hike. Awesome views!!

After you check-in, you get to pick the site you want by driving around and putting your tag on a post. This was nice so that we were able to select a site that fit both our tent and our shade gazebo. Unfortunately, the campground bathrooms are in dire need of repair and cleaning. The pit toilets at our previous campground were nicer than these. I didn't want to touch anything in these bathrooms. There was no soap and no way to dry one's hands. If that's the model being used, then provide and maintain a hand sanitizer option. The lighting outside the bathroom also didn't seem to align with the park's dark sky certification. On the upside - we greatly appreciated the showers! They were much better maintained than the facilities in the campground and it's always appreciated when we can control the water temp and adjust the shower head for our kids. It's also nice to have them designed in a way that doesn't get everything you own wet. Overall, it was a good experience and we'd stay here again if visiting Mesa Verde.

Showers were clean and open 24/7. Very little bugs and mosquitoes to worry about. I had arrived about 3 hrs before check in and they let me check in early for a tent site. You wouldn't know this until you go to the Campstore since park rangers at the visitor center do not take care of camping reservations. It gave me enough time to pick a site and set up camp prior to my scheduled tour. I was able to stay in contact with my family via the wifi on the campsite, however when I needed to call 911, my call did not go through being on the wifi. There was only SOS without wifi and that still didn't work. My phone is new as of May so I didn't think it was a phone issue. I was able to text my family to try to have them call the non-emergency number for the national park. When given the option to pick police, nothing happened according to my family. By the time I decided to get into the car to drive to cell phone service, I heard someone had gone up to talk to the guy causing problems. This guy sounded like he was "spoken to" about 3 times before he stopped. At that point it was about 2 hrs after the initial incident of him cursing and screaming at an unknown woman. I spoke to someone at the campstore about it the next morning. I was assured it was dealt with. The breakfast place next to the campstore has outdoor seating only but the warmers were on. The showers were still available to use even after your check out time for the day. There is also gas on site if you didn't want to leave the national park all together or needed just a little bit before you get somewhere more affordable. Overall the employees were great and sites were well maintained. Each tent site had their own bear container to use.

Overall, a nice campground in a beautiful location. But we did notice some areas for improvement: 1. The campsites themselves need more maintenance. Many of the campsites were very overgrown, to the point where the tables and fire pits were almost swallowed by high grass. This seems less than ideal given ticks as well as fire danger. 2. The flush toilets are nice, but one of the men's restrooms had no soap. 3. The showers are great to have, but need to be better maintained and cleaned. Most of them don't drain well, and the signs that talk about not using the showers for solid waste aren't exactly reassuring... 4. We had the pancake breakfast one day. Nice to have the option, but they ran out of forks and we had to eat our pancakes with a spoon. That should not happen.

Wonderfully Campground. The sites and surroundings are beautifully taken care of. There is easy access to potable water, and Wi-Fi service on the grounds! Bathrooms with running water are intersperced throughout the campgrounds and the one I used was in good shape. My only complaint does involve the bathrooms- they are all marked with a bright light outside and while I understand why this is, the brightness is way too much. An enormous draw to Mesa Verde camping is the stunning night sky, but at the moment, the view from Morefield is stunted. All that said, I do look forward to staying at Morefield Campground's tent sites again the next time I visit Mesa Verde.

The campground area was fine. The view was spectacular. Unfortunately the shower facilities were undesirable. The units were damp and steamy regardless of the time of day. No restroom in the shower unit. NO HOOKS OR RACKS FOR TOWELS AND CLOTHING. THE ONLY PLACE FOR THESE ITEMS WAS ON A WET/DAMP BENCH. There were four of us in our party and one of the units had woefully inadequate drainage. (changing to a different unit after realizing this issue is difficult to say the least) This experience alone detracted from our entire stay.

Nice quiet campground. Great sites. We dry camped with a 22 ft travel trailer. Showers, coin op laundry and restrooms included near the general store and restaurant (all you can eat pankake breakfast!). Fuel available.

We stayed at the campground and it was in a beautiful location. The bathrooms were clean and the store had very good selection of many items. This place has laundromat and showers. The staff is very friendly. The location of the campground was perfect.

Museum was nice. They show you a movie about the park and history. The way we went, they had a junior ranger program where Ranger Eric was getting kods to do activities. My son had a great time. They also have a gift shop inside it. There are rangers inside if you have any questions about the tours and park.

Blending into the park, the museum mimics the design of the ruins and shares design traits throughout the complex. The museum itself has a short self paced tour of the exhibits explaining the artifacts found and of the ancient culture that once lived there. The best exhibit there is subjectively is the collection of artifacts returned by people who took the from the park.

A small museum in the Mesa Verde National Park, about the Pueblo's cultural. There are many potteries, old and new, and tools, jewelries.

Interesting to learn about the history of the mesa dwellings. I appreciated that they make an effort to increasingly include the narrative of the natives instead of only the perspective of the descendants of European settlers. Don’t miss the ranger talk!

Cool displays and a decently sized museum. However, the trail that goes up to the ruins was closed which was disappointing. Most of this museum was also behind glass so it didn't really have anything for my two little kids as far as hands on learning.

This is a must go place for sure. It is much better in person. Don’t think twice just go!

Great museum for learning about the surroundings! There is a water bottle fill-up station too. That was VERY helpful!!

The Metate Room is great! The location is of course stunning, and the menu is a thoughtful mix of regional cuisine and standbys. I had the succotash and seasonal veggie (broccoli). Both were delicious and I had enough succotash leftover for breakfast. My server was very attentive. Overall, excellent experience and by far the best food in MVNP!

This is a fine dining experience right in Mesa Verde. The staff was on point and friendly. I was concerned about this prior to our visit because several reviews complained about the service. In fact, there was a great vibe from the waitstaff, and all of the customers' visiting seemed pleased. So why only three stars? The food had excellent presentation but lacked in flavor. The chicken was very dry. The short ribs were fatty but very tasty. The vegetable of the day was broccoli rabe, and it seemed to have an odd flavor, as though it was sprayed with some oil or something. It was mostly warm but not hot. If you are looking for a sit-down meal at a comfortable table with air condition and spectacular scenery, you may like it here. Although we felt the food was ok, but not amazing. We did enjoy seeing a buck stop to enjoy his dinner right outside the restaurant.

After an amazing day in the park, what better to end than a phenomenal meal with sweeping views. The food was outstanding, and our server, Javier, elevated our experience even more! Don't miss this opportunity. You won't regret it.

The location is great, the view is wonderful, and the service was really good too. The food was alright, considering your limited options its probably the best option for the park. If you want a nice sit down dinner, for sure this is really the only option you have.

My wife and I both got the salmon, which was delicious! Guy, our server, was amazing…excellent service! We brought our five kids to eat there, and Guy worked with us to order teenager friendly meals. The apple pie churro w/ ice cream was my favorite dessert! Meal was pricey, but not bad for being in the National Park and at the hotel.

Being captive in the park, Aramark is adequate, but there’s nothing special here. The food is cafeteria quality, but if you pack a cooler, and can skip even 1 or 2 Aramark meals, you’re better off. The 2 exceptions are: 1) the short ribs were amazing, get that. 2) the ribeye was bad bad bad. Tougher than shoe leather, and they remade it for me and it was even worse. Skip the ribeye.

Great experience here, I went here when I was camping in the Mesa Verde National Park. I had tried to make reservations, but everyone I did the phone was busy and I could never get through to anyone, and reservations are *highly* recommended at this place. I decided to just go and try my luck, being only a party of one I can get in anywhere most of the time! That was the case with this place as well, other people were told they'd need to wait unit 9pm ( I was there at 7pm). They did warn me that I might have to wait a bit for service because there was only one waiter for the entire half of the restaurant that I was in. My waiter was named Brian and he did a fantastic job despite having way too many tables to serve. Now onto the food, the food was great, I had the soup of the day which was beef with green chilies, the braised short ribs, and the lemon tres leche cake. The soup was really well rounded with a great heat to it and the beef was super tender, it had potatoes and celery in it as well. The braised short ribs were tender and amazing, it came with smashed potatoes, and asparagus which were both also seasoned really nicely. The tres leche cake was fantastic, it was nicely sweet, but not too sweet to drown out the flavor of the lemon.

Completely unique to the area and worth the short detour to see this structure researchers still really have no idea what it was used for. Great view of the cliff palace form here also!

Really not much to see here. Wish if the sun temple was visible. You get to a view of cliff palace from jere though.

Great views of the cliff palace and the sun temple is neat. There are also some great views of the canyon below.

The sun palace was nice. It’s actual purpose in this society was unknown, still a mystery... my children loved it! My favorite part is the Cliff Palace Viewpoint is a stone throw away. Unfortunately we went in the winter 🥶, middle of January, and the Cliff Palace is closed to the public. I’m assuming the ice and snow makes it a little dangerous.

The sun temple itself was kind of underwhelming with plenty of concrete on it. The area does offer some good views of Cliff Palace but you will get a better view at the cliff palace stop. There are a couple telescope/binoculars that allow you a better view of Cliff Palace.

Nice walk beautiful views

A neat Mesa Top ruin you are free to explore. Close to Cliff Palace. This is a fairly extensive ruin.

Nice short hike for views of Balcony House and views up the canyon to the north.

Nice short trail, an out & back. When you get to the post at the fork, you can go to either side and look over. Good trail for most people, including kids. Not for wheelchairs or the very challenged.

Basically the best vantage point you're going to get of Balcony House without actually doing a tour. A little over a half-mile hike from the trailhead to this point. From here, it's about a quarter-mile in a straight line to Balcony House, so the vantage point isn't exactly great when compared to the Spruce Tree House overlook behind the park's offices, or even the view you get of the Cliff Palace from the Sun Temple area.

1.3 hike round trip hike as it’s well worth it! The views are incredible and I highly recommend this hike if parking is possible!

Nice trail in itself but it’s very difficult to see the dwellings from the viewpoint- they’re very small. There are better areas to view dwellings closer to the road.

Good views of Balcony house. Easy hike good for kids.

Sure loved the view from the Overlook Trail. The road was closed so a nice and quiet 2 mile hike to the canyon overlook...

Short walk from the parking lot to the top of the hill. This fire tower (which is closed to the public) is one of 3 different vantage points here. It's the highest point in the park, and offers an extraordinary view for 360°.

Beautiful view from the top where the fire tower is located! Definitely worth checking it out! Take your time going up the hill as it really isn’t too bad but it can be challenging for some!

A short walk up the hill from the parking area is Park Point Lookout. This station was built in 1939 by the CCC to monitor for fires. As it is located atop the highest point in Mesa Verde, it has a 360 degree view of the surrounding area and on clear days one can see more than 100 miles! Walk from this point to both the north and south observation platforms and take in the tremendous views!

Beautiful lookout point that anyone visiting Mesa Verde National Park should stop by. You have an unobstructed 360-degree view of there, and you could see 4 different states.

Short uphill paved walk. We were able to talk to a forest ranger while we were there. You were able to see what a working fire tower looks like, from the outside. 😄 Still a great experience.

Very interesting fire tower

Better than I expected to be honest. It’s exactly what you think you’re getting. My chicken sandwich was fine but left me quite bloated. Burping for the rest of the day. Sister got the black bean burger. Weird looking creamy coleslaw on that jawn. It is what it is. Go for the safe option.

Did not have much for vegetarian but I had the local cola and icecream. It was reasonably prices. They also have a gift shop where you can buy artwork and souvenirs.

Cafeteria food with National Park overpricing in a cafeteria environment but they do have some small outside seating areas. Only open from 11-2. No breakfast or coffee in the a.m.

The Navajo taco was amazing! I think it was called "Mesa Verde Taco" or similar on the menu.

Nice gift shop with typical Park gifts as well as art and pottery

Like it's been stated on here a couple of times it is overpriced but not bad for park food. We ordered the Navajo taco and it was like spicy Texas chili with fry bread chunks. Nothing like Navajo tacos from the four corners area.

Affordable food for a national park!!

Beautiful pueblo site from 800AD. Not very big but a great history lesson

Not as stunning as the cliff dwellings, but the interpretive exhibits are very informative and you can get a very up-close understanding of the operation of such pit houses. Good stop.

Interesting from a historical standpoint and the exhibit does a good job of describing what you're seeing and how it fits into the historical habitation of the area. That said, not overwhelming in terms of what remains of the former structure

Pit house with information plaque.

A quick stop, if Mesa Verde is your first look at Pueblo ruins, this could be exciting.

I love this kind of well explained archeological site. Really quite good.

Pick up a Mesa Top Loop booklet!! Has a lot of great information that you can read about each site on the Loop

This is a great story about how she spent a lot of her effort to protect dwellings in the park, but its honestly not that much to see compared with the other viewpoints.

Nice viewpoint, however, the ruin is in the far distance. Binoculars or a camera with a powerful zoom would be helpful. Nevertheless, worth a stop.

Very easy to get to the outlook. ADA friendly and beautiful views

You can spot the archaeological site from a view deck / overlook as you look across the canyon. Great canyon views and easy parking. If you want to see an even bigger site for free, nearby cliff palace has a free view deck.

Not the easiest or best overlook in the park, but places like these can still give you an idea at just how numerous the settlements were in the area.

I really enjoyed this overlook as it’s hard to pinpoint it at first but you can see it if you compare it to the sign! Very beautiful scenery!

Fun little stop and overlook of the Hemenway house. Good little background of the naming of the house. One of the better spots to stop and get out to look at the cliff dwellings.

Great view over the canyon. Worth a quick stop.

Nice canyon view worth a quick stop, but no cliff houses.

Beautiful viewpoint over an impressive canyon. Close to views of lots of ruins, but the highlight of this view is the canyon itself.

Good views of the canyon in multiple directions. Close to the main road, so it's definitely worth a 10-minute stop

The canyon is gorgeous!

Terrific views like so many other locations here.

Stunning.

Small house with many (5) windows visible tgat you have to look hard to see, but nice stop if you're on the Cliff Palace loop.

Bring a pair of binoculars or have a good zoom on your camera to capture this archaeological site. Parking is right up against the view deck / overlook. Beautiful canyon views also!

Amazing to see a dwelling so high in a sheer cliff face. Need binoculars to really appreciate it.

Great overlook as you see a small dwelling in the distance! Definitely recommend checking it out!

The house of many windows. A good cliff dwelling to get out and see. No hiking required at the overlook. A good stop for little kids to let them stretch and walk around.

The building itself is not the most impressive out here - but the building included in the magnificent scenery makes it an excellent experience.

Incredible place where they built their houses. Imagine the effort to build them. And how everyday life should be!

Great viewpoint of multiple cliff dwellings across the canyon.

A cliff dwelling with decent size.

Spectacular views

We were greeted by a friendly person as we checked in. The park was clean, well organized, and had very clear signage. Our site was level, partially shaded, and had hookups in the perfect location. The laundry room (which we really needed!) was clean and the machines worked great. The pool area was spotless and the pool itself was very refreshing. We didn't get a chance to use the hot tub, but it was also spotless. This is the perfect place to stay, especially if you want to visit Mesa Verde National Park. Thank you for taking pride in providing a great place for campers to stay!

Loves this campground. Our dog loved the big dog park with agility course. There’s a rec room, minute golf, pool and hot tub. Clean and quiet. Directly across the freeway from Mesa Verde National Park with the Cliff Dwellings (which is definitely a must see). Our view from our campsite.

This place is great! Convenient location to access Mesa Verde. Full hook up pull thru site, reasonably priced. Dog park and other dog pen area. Laundry room, game room, pool, hot tub etc. We didn’t use all the amenities but there were plenty. Very friendly staff, especially George! Also we were able to get our propane filled. They offer late check for a nominal fee if you have a tour scheduled. Highly recommend!

The campground is located at the entrance to Mesa Verde NP, an unbeatable location considering that the tours available within the park are about an hour from the entrance. This is the place if you like stargazing. The RV Park is rustic, and the restrooms and laundry room are super clean. We had a minor issue, and George worked diligently until it was resolved. Thanks, George and Ricky! Highly recommended, we will definitely come back!

We spent 3 nights there. Clean park. Very friendly helpful staff. George and Ricky were terrific. 2 dog parks, one of which is huge. Would be nice if they supplied plastic bags for dog waste. Overall great place and will return if in the area.

This was our second time thru the area in about a month, but it was our first stay at this specific RV park. I booked it based on their website and Google rating. We've stayed at a lot of RV parks in the past 5 weeks we've been travelling, but this one was the most run down. The actual RV sites are fine and we had the back area where the 50 amp sites are pretty much to ourselves, which was nice. The showers are a ways down the hill from these sites, but they're nice and big and warm. There's lots of old play equipment for kids, which our youngest took advantage of. The pool is supposed to be heated to 78 degrees according to staff but it didn't feel 78 degrees so we only swam for about 10-15 min. It was also a little chilly that evening tho, so 🤷🏼‍♀️. Kids aren't allowed in the hot tub for insurance reasons apparently (even for just 5 min to warm up), which was super disappointing. And odd, since the KOAs and other parks we stayed at allowed kids in hottubs- but whatever. The large dog parks are awesome, and the mini-golf could be a super cool amenity if it was taken care of- it's very run down and in desperate need of new turf. And it's $4 to play. Overall it was fine and quiet, and if you're visiting Mesa Verde it's right across from the entrance so the location is stellar and the night sky is incredible. Just understand the website is a little misleading. Next time I'll be picking a different park.

This was a very nice place to spend the night to visit Mesa Verde, Cortez & Canyons of the Ancients. The park is pretty quiet. Also, they are part of the dark skies park, we were able to see the milky way last night. The bathrooms & laundry were very clean! I would definitely return.

I stayed at Brightstar Campground with my family of four for two nights. Our stay was great! We stayed in the Mustang tipi. Everything was clean and ready for us when we arrived. There were very few other guests during our visit and everyone was very friendly and respectful of space and peace. The facilities are pretty rustic, but we were comfortable. The communal kitchen was a great feature! We had no issues and never had to reach out to the host for anything.

I came in late in the night and reserved a tent site. When I explored a bit this morning - wow!! A fully stocked kitchen with all the tools and sinks, an adorable social space, cheery painted flowers and real flowers dotting the grounds - what a treat! Highly recommend, will definitely return!

Magic spot to truly unwind! Lovely couple with a real artistic flair. Fantastic kitchen & common area. Would be amazing for a large gathering for a few days, such as a reunion, or celebrations. Accomodation options are many! Safe for kids too.

Bright Star is a true GEM! My family and I traveled cross country for three weeks, seeing National Parks and exploring this big beautiful country. Bright Star was our MOST FAVORITE stay, by far. We slept in the mustang teepee for one night. Which was so cozy and honestly , very cool! The communal space is equipped with couches, picnic tables, ping pong table, fire pit, lovely music and good people. We even got to do some rock painting there too! We all felt immediately at home, especially our 10 year old son. The kitchen which was attached to this space was fully stocked with anything we might need to cook. We were able to grill the food we had and just relax. There was a really unique and chill community vibe which we all really appreciated. After hopping from one campsite or hotel to another, this place was refreshingly warm and cozy and home-y. The bathrooms and showers were clean and well decorated. The care and energy they put into their place was obvious and made it really special. We watched the sun set and rise again in the morning (which was MAGNIFICENT) and headed to Mesa Verde(which was so close). If we are ever in Colorado again, we will absolutely be staying at Brandi and Kent’s Bright Star campground…but next time we will stay a little longer! We HIGHLY RECOMMEND Bright Star! Sweetest place ever. Thank you!!!

My boyfriend and I had such a lovely weekend at Brightstar Campgroud! We stayed in the yurt which was super clean and well stocked and decorated. The instructions to check in were super seamless, and the grounds are also soooo stunning. You're in a desert with cliffs and mountains all around, and the star gazing is amazing! The kitchen and showers were also super clean. The kitchen had all the essentials too :) Thanks so much for curating such an inviting and relaxing stay in Mesa Verde! I would 100% recommend glamping here ;)

We went tent camping, they had a community building with a kitchen, grill, couch, and a game area. It has 2 buildings for showers and bathrooms. They have pit stools, and running water to wash your hands. The showers use an on demand heat source. You must limit your showers to 10 minuets. This is in a desert prarie, it us very dusty and very windy. It is away from the city. Great for stargazing. The communal space allowed to get out of the heat, you can only get 32oz of water per day per person. Overall, it was not what i expected from the description in the website. Would not go again NOTE:the map said to host would come and say hi, but to set up camp. We never saw the host. The mens shower you could get hot water right away. The woman's shower might give you hot water in 5 minutes, or it might not come at all. We texted the host, they didn't fix it. The mother of the host said she felt warm water.

Stopped here during our honeymoon roadtrip. It was an amazing and rustic experience! We will definitely go back when we are in Colorado again. Let's start off that I had forgotten to make a reservation. There is no check-in desk. I realized my mistake when we pulled up to the driveway and saw a sign "Registrations Required". Luckily, they had their number on the sign and I was able to call and confirm availability. Reservation was as easy as filling out a form on their website and submitting my payment. We decided to stay in the Raven Teepee (they have 4 total Teepees) because it had a king size bed with linens included. Mind you, this is an outdoor camping/glamping experience in rural Colorado. You may see/hear critters like beetles, rabbits (lots), coyotes, ants, etc. If that's gonna bother you, find a hotel. There are shower buildings with hot water. They are hot and only provide an On/Off option at the time of writing. I was comfortable with turning it on to wet then off to lather/shampoo then on to rinse. If you leave it on constantly, it will get the full effect of the on-demand water heater (set at 114 degrees Fahrenheit). They do have a bathroom as well. Water is provided to wash your hands but the toilets are outhouse style. Each cabin, Hogan, Teepee and the common area has access to a battery pack or electricity (read the details for each site). The owners are happy to assist and recharge/replace depleted battery packs if needed. They also have 3 tent sites. They have a common area where you can store and prepare food, wash dishes, and hang out. They provide various games and activities including classics like Monopoly, Jenga, Painting Rocks, and much more! The owners don't bother you when you're staying but make themselves available if needed. After a stay, they clean the site thoroughly (and in the case of the Raven Teepee) replace the linens with new and cover the bed with a sheet of plastic to protect it. Current owners have only had it since May 2025. They are working on improving the experience and are receptive to feedback. Don't forget to sign the book in the kitchen or scribe your name on the wall of the bathroom with the provided chalk!

Now a scenic overlook of the Montezuma Valley, this stop was once part of the Knife Edge Road before a longer and safer route developed through a tunnel. A traveler in 1892 once described a trail on this ridge as the Crinkly Edge Trail. In 1911, the trail became the Knife Edge Road, a new section of the main road into the park. Although scenic, the road was narrow and steep and precariously skirted the top of a steep bluff overlooking the Montezuma Valley. Unfortunately, the instability of the soil made it difficult to maintain. Two years later, the park built a bypass road through Morefield and Prater Canyons, and when the first automobile trip was made in 1914, vehicles used the bypass and the Knife Edge Road was soon closed. The scenic value of the Knife Edge Road prompted the park to reopen it again in 1924. Although it continued to challenge road crews for the next 30 years, it remained in use until 1957 when the Morefield-Prater tunnel was completed. Today, you can still enjoy the views via the Knife Edge Trail.

Spectacular overlook pretty early on your drive into the park. Amazing view of the Knife Edge, which is one of the more distinctive rock formations in the park. You can roughly see the end of the trail that starts down at the campground and wraps up to just below the feature; at one point in time, the main road followed that same path and continued to the Montezuma Valley Overlook, though blasting a tunnel and changing the course of the road helped to make that trek a little less precarious. It appears that a trail (not so long ago) continued the entire way around, to this overlook, but there's signs on both sides instructing you to keep out. If I had to guess, rocks tumbling down are a bit of a concern at the present.

Went here on a bucket list vacation and was stunned by the beauty. A must see

Wow! The views are great! Make it a good deed day, always leave it in better shape than you found it! ❤️&follow for more places to visit and enjoy! #EatPlayExplore #Enjoycolorado #ExploringColorado

Nice quick view of the valley below on your way up or down

Amazing view. Very informative plaques. Clean park style restrooms. Picnic tables and walking trails. Paved parking.

Gorgeous sight, this national park lets you pull over and take in crazy scenic views. For people who have some sort of physical disability that doesn’t let them walk long distances this is a nice national park to be at

This is an amazing part of Colorado history. The technical and engineering skills used in these 1500+ year old structures is awesome. If you're in the area, this is well worth the effort to experience first hand.

Viewpoint along Mesa Top loop road overlooking ancient cliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace.

The best viewpoint on this loop with a clear view of the cliff palace and other cliff dwellings across the valley.

Great views of the canyon and several cliff dwellings.

Arguably the best view in the entire park. You can see several dwellings from here. Very pretty. If you only do one view point on this loop, I would recommend this one.

Good views of a few different cliff-dwelling sites. Close to the road, absolutely worth a stop. If taking pictures, make sure you have a telephoto lens, as these sites are pretty far off in the distance

Only did a drive through of the park today, this is a recommended stop

Definitely worth stopping here as this is the highest point of the park with the best views of the surroundings! Lots of great views on both sides and there are plenty of information on signs that tell you everything about this location! The hike up is mostly uphill but not too bad! Highly recommend it!

Highest point in the park! Just a short little uphill walk from the lot, with a few different places you can look 360° around. Awesome place to take in the sunset. The fire tower is closed to the public and was, the 2 times we stopped by, unstaffed.

As you drive in to Mesa Verde, make sure you stop here. The views are amazing, right across to Cortez. There are panoramic views of the valley on one side and the park on the other. Definitely worth a stop.

What a great lookout of the whole park. It's actually the highest point in Mesa Verde, and they use it for spotting fires. If you only see one overlook along this extremely windy road, go to this one. I recommend bringing binoculars and a great camera, the views are spectacular.

Great views from the top. Only a short walk from the parking area. Great location for sunset.

This is hands down the best place to do a full geographic scan of the surrounding areas to the North, South, East, and West! There's a small but steep uphill walk from the parking lot to the actual viewpoint, but once you're there you'll be served views from every single direction! Highly recommend going in the late afternoon to catch a beautiful sunset! It's best saved for a final visit before you leave the park.

This is the highest point in Mesa Verde. You can pretty much see the entire park from here including nearby towns. There is a short 3 minute walk to the Fire Tower where you will learn about some of the fires that occurred in Mesa Verde that burned out a lot of acreage.

Fantastic viewpoint of multiple dwellings from across the canyon, and also a nice view of the sun temple atop the cliff.

Nice views of multiple dwellings from this viewpoint. Use the binoculars or telescopes which are there and usually pointed at what you want to see.

Great views of the oak tree house and cliff palace.

Cliff dwelling visible from a viewpoint not far removed from the main road. Not one of the most impressive cliff-dwellings in the park (or even along this road) but still worth a quick stop

You can see many dwellings from this point. Bring your binocular.

The overlook is by the road, good to stop and see.

Incredible view of cliff dwellings, Very Strong Recommendation for Tourists and Coloradans alike.

Fantastically previewed pitthouses from different elcenturies with educational displays explaining their daily life and construction of the sites

For an up close look at how the people lived... do yourself a favor and stop by these spots. Most people overlook them because they aren't in the cliffs, but they would be doing themselves a disservice by not checking these out.

Yet another informative exhibit about the evolution of dwellings used by the former inhabitants of this region. Well-preserved and maintained, with great information and context provided. Well worth a visit

These are some of the oldest ruins in the park. Fascinating to learn how the natives lived and see their homes!

Great historical site

You can see the mix of pueblo and pithouses an how kivas evolved.

Amazing close up views of some pithouses.

We visited this as part of the 700 Years of History tour that we booked through the park Web site. It lasted 4 hours and was great.

Excellent progression of building techniques on display here. Really good info and well protected area.

Protected from the weather the Mesa Top sites allows you to get up close to sme ruins and see a larger Kiva.

Another informative exhibit providing great information and context relating to the dwellings used over time by the people who once inhabited this area.

The site where 3 pithouses overlap, is amazing.

This one is different from the others

The Mesa Top Loop is closed for construction. There is no access to the Mesa Top Sites right now.

One of the more distinctive rock formations in the park; it's pretty easy to see from several overlooks to the west. The trail to get here (trailhead is located in Morefield Campground, though you don't need to be a camper to access) is pretty easy: about 2 miles out-and-back, fairly level other than the first (and last) couple hundred feet of the trail. At present, the trail doesn't continue toward the Montezuma Valley Overlook, though it seems to have in the not too distant past. Certainly longer ago, this used to be the main road into the park, before that spiffy tunnel got built about a mile past the campground entrance.

Our family absolutely loved this hike! The scenery was breathtaking. If you get a chance I'd highly recommend a hike on this trail. It wasn't terribly strenuous and I enjoyed every step!

Beautiful

Great in the morning light.

legendary

Pretty easy trail we were able to complete around sunset one evening. Excellent, expansive view of the valley below from along the trail. There's a slight climb over the first few hundred feet, but otherwise it's fairly level. If we'd had more time, it would've been cool to link up to the Prater Ridge Trail. Overall, about 2 miles out-and-back.

My second favorite tour of the 3 we took. Ranger Julia (my favorite Ranger that guided us on a tour!) shared her wealth of knowledge of the park and its history with us, and we had the pleasure of hearing Ranger Bonnie play her flute on the tour. What an incredible experience!

It's an amazing experience. It's great to be able to walk through this beautiful Ancestral Puebloan ruin. The Rangers provide lots of information about their culture, the area, and the ruins.

We visited Mesa Verde at the end of July and were very fortunate to book a ranger guided tour for Long House. Tours sell out quickly and it's best to book in the morning as soon as they become available. Currently (as of July 2022) the tour tickets are posted to recreation.gov at 8am MST 14 days ahead of time. Long house is stunning, and it's a very exciting experience to hike down to the 800 year old cliff dwelling. The tour was thought provoking and well timed. Parking for the tour is at Wetherill Mesa. Do be aware you must hike to the Long House trail head, about a 15 minute walk. Additionally you must arrive 15 minutes early for a safety briefing, so all in all give yourself an extra 30 minutes from your arrival time to the parking lot. We also visited Cliff Palace, which just opened to tours for the summer due to road construction. Cliff Palace is gorgeous and incredibly well preserved, it's a powerful experience to walk through the site and imagine the amazing challenges and joys of living in the Palace. One of the rangers who spoke at the palace was part of the indigenous intern program and we felt fortunate to hear her from unique perspective and cultural connection to the site. If you only have time to tour one site, we would definitely recommend the Long House tour over Cliff Palace, you can get great views of cliff Palace without the tour. Give yourself plenty of time ahead of the tours and pack water.

I feel so lucky to see and go through this amazing place. The ranger leading the tour gave so much information about the place and the people that used to live here. I allocated enough time to get to the meetup point before my scheduled tour. Some folks missed the previous tour because they didn't realize they had to hike quite a bit to get there from the parking lot. The ranger was nice enough to let them join our tour. It was in the 90s when I was doing the tour and the heat made it tougher. I'm glad I got lots of water.

This trip and tour is not for the meek. If you choose and book it, get a morning tour because of sun placement. Our tourguide was outstanding and assisted in better understanding of the dwellers community. The insight and history provided gives insight to the period of cliff dwellers.

Incredible place!! you could get inside some if it. Rangers did a great job on the tour. The hike in and out is little bit strenuous when the temp is around 90, but well worth it. It's unbelievable what people could accomplish 1,000 yrs ago. What a fantastic place to visit and learn.

Absolutely spectacular! Long House is the second largest set of ancient ruins within Mesa Verde, but they are only accessible by ranger-guided tours that are offered seasonally. Make reservations in advance, because tours are limited to 30 people.. Tours last 2 to 2.5 hours, and the hike is moderately strenuous with mostly paved trails, switchbacks and steps to descend into the canyon, and ladders and steps to explore within the ruins. Only water may be taken into the ruins, so eat your lunch and snacks BEFORE you start the hike.

This was a fun hike. It's a loop (start by going to the right). We did this in the middle of February. It starts out paved for a short while, then a bit muddy, followed by an intermittent dry with rocks and boulders to approximately 2" of snow. The beginning is more challenging until you get to the turn and head back. The trail is clearly marked with ribbons on the tree. You climb up staircases made of rocks and over some boulders. The hardest point is at the turn. If you are not the fittest for hiking, start left and when you get to the point turn-around. Or perhaps just walk the paved area and view the village from the benches. There is plenty of parking, a museum, and clean bathrooms. Don't forget, veterans, and they're entire car load, can enter the park for free, with proof of service.

Decent hike in terms of the actual walking and terrain, but the views as you walk and the ultimate payoff in terms of the petroglyphs are a little underwhelming. Better hiking options elsewhere in the park

Not the easiest trail, but definitely worth it. Don't forget water! If it's even a little sunny, the combination of altitude and the fact you're in the desert make it less pleasant. Lucky for us, it clouded over just as I was starting to hate my life choices. As others have noted, it's best to hike this counter-clockwise, following the signs into the canyon, then returning to the mesa top after finding the petroglyphs. Overall, trail's just under 2.5 miles long.

This trail is awesome. Be sure to do it counterclockwise. Starts in the canyon...if you're starting on the Mesa...turn around and walk into the canyon, then start the trail. Be aware of loose rocks. I wish I could hike this trail more often.

One of the best trails to hike in Mesa Verde! The hike is listed as strenuous and there were lots of climbing up and down and steep inclines. However, the views were just breathtaking and makes all the blood sweat and tears all worth it. Definitely make sure to have enough water especially on hot days. The trail is about a 2.4 mile loop. Half of the loop is relatively flat and not rocky. The other half is all the steep inclines and rocky terrain.

FANTASTIC hike - and definitely some aspect of strenuous to it.. highly recommended that you follow the trail counterclockwise - ie start from the Spruce Tree House and descend down from there - don't start walking on the flat plateau first! The incline and steep steps at the halfway point by the petroglyphs were MUCH easier to go up than to try to climb down from the plateau!

Starts out fun but quickly gets icy, some parts are scary with ice and a massive drop next to you. If you're going in the winter months bring spikes for traction. I am not the most experienced hiker and this gave me some scares along the hike especially near the end. Would not recommend for beginners although sights are amazing.

Highly recommend this hike! It’s 2.4miles (3.9km). There is a “right way” to go around the trail. Start by going down toward Spruce Tree House. There are numbers around the trail. If you find the lower numbers first then you are going the right way. There is a decent amount of climbing. I recommend doing this one earlier in the day when it’s not so hot.

Fantastic hike! Only one building and area with strong petroglyphs. Fun rock scrambles, tight squeeze in one area, lots of stairs. Great "hard" hike. Awesome caves and places with shade in the beginning if you start by going down into the valley from the museum.

Gorgeous views of the pits and small house. Unfortunately, a lot of the places were closed either due to construction at the museum or road work. It's an amazing drive and lots of look outs and places to hike to. It's just unfortunate that a lot of the places were closed. Bring water or a camelbak for the hikes as well as some good footwear.

This was an adventure- took my 4 little boys and they loved it. The hike down to step house is along a steep cliff- I just made sure to hold my 4 YO's hand and warn my 6 and 8 YO to not run/be careful and they all did fine. For us this hike was probably a little more fun than the toured cliff houses just because my kids are little and found all the talking the tour guide did very boring.

It's an amazing site to see. Half of the loop is closed so it's an in out trail.

Beautiful! Self guided tour so no need to prebook for a tour. Once there, it's a mile round trip hike to Step House and back. Once at Step House, head to where the ranger is and grab a laminated handout that's numbered which will guide you through and explain the different sections.

One mile hike but it’s not that easy. Awesome view with cool structure

A relatively short and easy hike (10-20 mins with not a bad elevation change) to a nice little ruin. You get to walk around the ruin and climb a little ladder. This hike is great for young children and the path is pathed, so it could be wheelchair accessible.

This is a ruin you can hike to and walk through on your own. It isn't as big as Spruce Tree House, but Spruce Tree House will be closed until 2019, so this is the best walk-up cliff ruin in the park. This is a very different landscape than Chapin Mesa, so it is an interesting ruin to hike to and visit. The walk is paved and there is not too much elevation gain.