Know Before You Go

Mesa Verde National Park has accessibility limitations for people with vision, hearing, or mobility impairments. Visit the National Park Service website for more information.

Mesa Verde offers a range of tour options—from self-guided walks to ranger-led walking tours and half-day bus excursions. Popular sites like Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House require advance tickets, which can sell out quickly. For the best experience, plan ahead—tickets are available up to 14 days in advance for cliff dwellings and 48 hours ahead for Aramark’s guided bus tours.

Mesa Verde is open 365 days of the year, 24 hours a day with limited access to sites during the off season.

The entrance fee for the park can be found on the National Park Service website at https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/fees.htm

Two areas of the Mesa Verde National Park are open year-round: Spruce Tree House Cliff Dwelling and the Mesa Top Loop Road (weather permitting), which has early surface sites and mesa rim views of the cliff dwellings.

For dates and times please visit the National Park Service website.

• Ranger-Guided Bus Tours
• Cliff Palace Tours
• Balcony House Tours
• Wetherill Mesa Tours (including Long House)
• Admission tickets for individual ranger-guided dwellings (Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Long House) are sold at the Visitor Research Center on a first-come, first-served basis.

NOTE: Due to continued safety concerns related to rock falls, the site remains closed for the foreseeable future. Overlooks near the museum offer superb views of the cliff dwelling.

Allow at least six hours in Mesa Verde, preferably more – plus driving time to and from the park. Most visitors want at least an overnight and one full day to sightsee and hike. Two days with an overnight in the park is recommended to see both Wetherill and Chapin Mesa sites and enjoy one of Mesa Verde's spectacular hiking trails.

Yes. Half-day tours of Mesa Verde depart daily from Far View Terrace. Tours are fun and interactive, fully interpreted by Aramark NAI Certified guides aboard comfortable motorcoach transportation.

"700 Years", our most popular tour is ranger-guided and shares current interpretation of the Ancestral Puebloan people. This 4-hour tour includes short hikes to archaeological sites along the Mesa Loop Road and a walking tour of Cliff Palace.

Yes! Far View Lodge, located 15 miles inside the park, is the only lodging available inside the park. The lodge is open from mid-April through mid-October. Camping in Mesa Verde is permitted at Morefield Campground, with over 267 campsites available from early May through mid-October. Reservations are accepted for 15 full hook-up sites, dry tent/RV sites and group campsites.

Pets are not allowed on park trails or in archaeological sites, or in public buildings. However, pets are welcome in specific Standard rooms at Far View Lodge. A $50.00 deposit (refundable pending no excess cleaning or damage) and a fee of $25.00 per pet, per night, is required. Pets may not be left unattended in rooms or vehicles.