|
|
|
Activities
Hiking
Recommended Activities
1/2 DAY OR LESS: Plan to spend at least 3 hours at Mesa Verde. 2 hours of this time will be spent driving in and out of the park. Your first stop should be at Far View Visitor Center, located 15 miles from the park entrance, for information and orientation. From there visit the Chapin Mesa Museum and Spruce Tree House. Another option is to drive the Mesa Top Loop Drive.
ONE DAY: Stop at Far View Visitor Center for park information and orientation. Purchase Cliff Palace or Balcony House tickets for $1.75 per person per tour if you wish to see those sites. Visit Chapin Mesa Museum and Spruce Tree House. Drive the Mesa Top Loop Road. Visit Cedar Tree House and Far View Sites Complex.
TWO DAYS OR MORE: Day one--purchase Cliff Palace or Balcony House tickets. Visit Chapin Mesa Museum and Spruce Tree House. Explore your hiking opportunities. From the Headquarters Area are Petroglyph Point Trail (2.8 miles) and Spruce Tree Canyon Trail (2.1 miles). From the Cliff Palace Loop there is the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail (0.75 miles). Stop at Cedar Tree Tower and visit the Farming Terrace Trail (0.50 miles). Day two--stop for tickets to Cliff Palace or Balcony House depending on what you visited yesterday. Drive the Mesa Top Loop Road and plan this around your ticketed tour of the day. Visit Far View Sites Complex. Finish the day by taking another hike and taking time to enjoy the wayside exhibits, especially Park Point. |
