Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is a national park of the United States and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, and the only World Heritage Site in Colorado. It lies 6 mi west of Mancos. This is a site of the National Park Service. Visitors in 2025 numbered 463K.
A national park, 6 mi west of Mancos
62% of visits come in Jun–Sep
June is the busiest month, with about 89,749 visitors. January sees about 5,916. When to go ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 129K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 97% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
You can sleep inside the park
1 place to stay are inside the park: Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde. The nearest town with more is Mancos. Where to stay ↓
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 13°, with about 57" of snow a year. When to go ↓
Established in 1906
Mesa Verde National Park dates from 1906 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
Crowds and weather, month by month
The months below show crowds and weather at Mesa Verde.
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park is a national park of the United States and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, and the only World Heritage Site in Colorado. The park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan ancestral sites in the United States.
Established by Congress and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, the park occupies 52,485 acres (212 km2) near the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. With more than 5,000 sites, including 600 cliff dwellings, it is the largest archaeological preserve in the United States. Mesa Verde (Spanish for "green table", or more specifically "green table mountain") is best known for structures such as Cliff Palace, one of the largest cliff dwellings in North America.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1906
- Area
- 81 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966) · World Heritage Site (1978) · International Dark Sky Park (2021)
- Wikipedia readers
- 129K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/meve
Plan your visit
- Private Vehicle$30
- Motorcycle$25
- Per Person$15
- Private Vehicle$20
Staying near Mesa Verde National Park
You can sleep inside the park (1 place). The first towns with rooms are Cortez (27) and Mancos (7).
- 1Cliff Palace
- 2Four Corners Monument
- 3Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
- 4Hovenweep
- 5Canyons of the Ancients
Stay in the park
- Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde campground
Cortez
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
9,126 people
9 mi west of Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center · 5 mi to the park
Mancos
1,266 people
6 mi east of Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center · 6 mi to the park
Dolores
933 people
11 mi northwest of Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center · 10 mi to the park
Compare 7 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortez | 9 mi west | 15 min | 27 17 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 9,126 | $273K | D |
| Mancos | 6 mi east | 10 min | 7 2 hotels · 1 motel · 3 inns & B&Bs · 1 RV park | 1,266 | $353K | — |
| Dolores | 11 mi northwest | 15 min | 10 2 hotels · 2 motels · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 933 | $308K | — |
| Durango | 30 mi east | 45 min | 43 31 hotels · 6 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 19,733 | $668K | — |
| Towaoc | 20 mi southwest | 30 min | 1 1 RV park | 1,078 | $426K | — |
| Rico | 32 mi northeast | 50 min | 3 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 347 | $560K | — |
| La Plata | 33 mi south | 50 min | 1 1 inn or B&B | 2,233 | $210K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
More to see nearby
More places people know lie within 59 miles.
17 mi Ancient siteCliff Palace
235 mi LandmarkFour Corners Monument
44 mi MountainShiprock
334 mi Scenic railwayDurango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
40 mi National MonumentAztec Ruins National Monument39K visitors a year
433 mi National MonumentHovenweep National Monument27K visitors a year
529 mi Park & preserveCanyons of the Ancients National Monument58 mi Ski areaTelluride Ski Area161 runs · 3,803 ft verticalPhoto credits
Cliff Palace: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Four Corners Monument: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shiprock: Bowie Snodgrass, CC BY 2.0 · Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: pixelFire, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Aztec Ruins National Monument: G. Edward Johnson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hovenweep National Monument: teofilo, CC BY 2.0 · Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Bureau of Land Management, Public domain
_-_Historische_Felsbehausungen.jpg){kind=link}
a.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
How busy: 463,130 in 2025
The count runs from 2016 up to 2025.
Planning a visit to Mesa Verde
What town is Mesa Verde National Park near?
Mancos, CO, about 6 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Mesa Verde National Park?
June, August and September, with highs of 75–82°. June is the busiest month (about 89,749 visitors).
How many people visit Mesa Verde National Park each year?
463,130 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 613,788, set in 2017.
What is the closest airport to Mesa Verde National Park?
Cortez Municipal (CEZ), about 12 miles away. The nearest big hub is Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), about 188 miles.
Where should I stay near Mesa Verde National Park?
Inside the park: Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde. Nearby: Cortez (9 mi, 27 places to stay), Mancos (6 mi, 7 places to stay) and Dolores (11 mi, 10 places to stay).
Local tips in Mancos
Start the conversation in Mancos’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.