Mesa Verde is a spectacular National Park. It’s pretty easy to see, but does take a bit of time and persistence to get there. With a little planning, I think you can have a very rewarding experience in a mere 36 hours. Here’s how to do it.
Mesa Verde is in the southwest corner of Colorado. The Durango airport is an hour away while Grand Junction and Albuquerque airports are four hours away. The nearest town is Cortez which has plenty of lodging and restaurants. If you do not stay in the Park, just know that you will have to drive an hour to and from the main ruins each trip up and down the mesas.
The better plan (though more expensive) is to stay at the Far View Lodge in the Park. “Lodge” is definitely an overstatement as it is really a motel with a bar and restaurant. The good news is staying here means you are only 10 minutes from the main ruins.
First stop is the Visitor’s Center and a view of Spruce Tree House. The trail is closed because of a landslide, but you can still see it from the Visitor’s Center. The museum is very good too.
If you are looking for a hearty trail with a payoff, try the Petroglyph Point Trail for a good workout and a good view.
Though all the main ruins have an overlook, the best way to see them is to sign up for a guided tour. Do the Cliff Palace tour in the morning, and the Balcony House tour in the afternoon. This way, both houses will be in the shade and it will be more physically enjoyable, as well as better for photography. You must have a reservation from recreation.gov. The tours open up two weeks in advance and my experience is that all tours sell out each day on the day released. So to get the best times, get on it first thing in the morning.
Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America, and is usually the one you see when someone says “cliff dwelling.” It has been photographed so often by so many, it’s hard to think of another one. On the platform over looking the Cliff Palace, the best view is all the way to the right in the corner. Push your way over and wait until you can get in there. It’s the best place to capture as much of the Palace as you can in one photograph.
While on the Cliff Palace Tour, either try to be in the front or in the very back to capture more photos without people. I usually hang towards the back of the crowd and then shoot backwards as we all walk forward. After the first stop on this tour, move towards the front to shoot before the tour group moves forward to the second stop.
Finally, on the Mesa Top Loop Drive at the Sun Temple parking area, you will have a view of the Cliff Palace across the Valley. You can either try a telephoto lens for a close up or a wide angle lens to bring in the valley and sky. Either way, its a great view.
Same strategy with the Balcony House Tour. Try to be one of the first people in the first room and second room. When everyone leaves to exit the ruin, hang back to get a last shot of the second room with the great tower and wooden supports.
Few people know this, when you enter the first Kiva area, walk straight ahead briskly to the small window in the wall at the end of the room. Through this window you get a great view of the second room with no one in it.
Also, on the Mesa Loop Drive is the impressive Square Tower House. On the weekends there is a Ranger-led hike to the ruins, but for most of us, the look-out will have to do. It is a very small platform. The best view is all the way to the right as you can to capture as much of the ruin as possible. This ruin is in the shade in the morning and bright sun in the afternoon. It looks best at sunset when it has a preternatural yellow glow.
There are also many other stops on the Loop Trial that are educational, but not photogenic.
Lastly, we have had the bad luck of missing the Long House in Weatherill Mesa the couple of times we have been here as the road has been closed for winter or for repair. Better luck next time.
Here is our first blog post about Mesa Verde. I don’t think I contradicted myself.
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