Open daily, year round, and no reservation is needed to drive in. The first view of a cliff dwelling is 21 miles in, about 45 minutes up a steep, narrow, winding road, and many cliff dwellings can be seen from paved overlooks without a tour or a ladder.
Know before you go. The park doesn't list sensory supports. Here's what it does say about the drive, the rims, the altitude and the seasons.
Hours
Open daily, year round; the main park road is open 24/7. The Visitor and Research Center is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Mesa Top Loop Road: daily, 8 am to sunset; during snow storms it may briefly close until the road and walkways are cleared. The Mesa Verde Museum is closed for renovations and is scheduled to reopen in late spring 2027.
Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center, the first left turn after you exit Highway 160 (park entrance between Mancos and Cortez). Mailing address: PO Box 8, Mesa Verde National Park, CO 81330
Cliff dwelling tours are closed, but many cliff dwellings can be seen from overlooks.
Snow is possible any time from October through May. The road is steep and winding, with shady curves that are often icy, and snow tires, all-wheel drive or chains may be required (signs are posted near the entrance station).
Many facilities are closed in winter, including most dining; Spruce Tree Terrace Café, near the Mesa Verde Museum, is the only food service.
May through October
$30 per private vehicle.
Summer is the busy season.
Ranger-guided cliff dwelling tours run part of this season and need advance reservations on recreation.gov, which open 14 days ahead. The park expects the 2027 tours to start in mid-to-late spring.
Stay close“Parents, please watch your children at all times”, “especially on trails, in the cliff dwellings, and near canyon rims.”
Stay close“Trails are steep and uneven, with steps and ladders.”
Stay close“Cliff dwelling tours involve rough trails with steep dropoffs, uneven steps, and climbing ladders.”
“Once you enter the park, the first view of a cliff dwelling is 21 miles (approximately 45 minutes) along a steep, narrow, and winding road.”
“Mesa Top Loop is 6-miles (10 km) with 12 ancestral sites and viewpoints, and two stops with toilets.”
“Elevations range between 7,000 and 8,400 feet (2134 m and 2560 m), and the climate is dry.” “Carry water with you everywhere, and drink it.”
“Summer is the Busy Season.”
The Mesa Top Loop can be the whole day: drive from stop to stop, walk the short paved paths, and stay in the car at any stop that feels like too much. Decide before you get out who stays at your kid's side near the rims.
No cash at the entrance: entrance fees are credit or debit only. Children under 16 don't need an entrance pass.
Reservations are not needed to enter the park; an entry fee or pass is.
The first view of a cliff dwelling is 21 miles in, about 45 minutes along a steep, narrow, winding road. The park says to plan at least two hours just to drive in and out.
On the ranger-guided tours, everyone, including children, must be able to climb the ladders on their own. Infants go in a carrier, and the adult carrying them must be able to keep their mobility and balance.
Free snowshoe rentals are available at the visitor center before noon each day, in adult and child sizes; return them by 3:30 pm.
Once you drive through the entrance, cell phone service is limited. You can find telephones at park facilities.
Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at the Visitor and Research Center on your way in.
Elevations range from 7,000 to 8,400 feet, and the climate is dry.
