THE PARK ENTRANCE HIGHWAY, paved and engineered for high-gear travel, begins its tortuous climb beneath Point Lookout shortly after branching south from Highway 160.
MESA VERDE—NORTH ESCARPMENT Air view of the “Green Table” not possible when named by Escalante in 1776.
AERIAL VIEW OF MESA VERDE
ENTERING THE PARK: Entering Mesa Verde is a breathtaking experience. Spectacular views confront the visitor as the road ascends for 5 miles to a high valley. This valley is an important activity center—the MORFIELD CAMPGROUND-VILLAGE complex. Just off the entrance road are 500 individual and group campsites, a 1500 seat amphitheatre, horseback riding and a shopping center. Approximately 10 miles past Morfield the road reaches another important point of activity. The National Park Service has located there the NAVAJO HILL VISITOR CENTER. On the gentle summit above the visitor center is the FAR VIEW MOTOR LODGE. On the road one mile south is Far View Ruin, a large surface pueblo important to the interpretation of Mesa Verde. The final four miles of the road descend gently through the forest to SPRUCE TREE, the Park Headquarters Area. The principal interpretative activity is here overlooking Spruce Tree Ruin, the third largest and, perhaps, the best preserved of the classical pueblo cliff dwellings.
PLAN YOUR SIGHTSEEING
In the Museum, at Park Headquarters, ranger-archaeologists are on duty to provide maps and guide leaflets, and to advise how to make the best use of your available time. You could spend a week in Mesa Verde’s spectacular environment, seeing something new every day and absorbing the fascinating story of 2,000 years of pre-history of the Stone Age people who built these cliff cities. But if your time is budgeted to only one day or less, the Museum Staff will help you plan your sightseeing so as to see the more important ruins as a prelude to your next—and longer—visit.
