Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde means Green Table. If you look up as you approach the park, you will feel it is aptly named. The very top of the area is perfectly flat and covered with junipers. We are camped less than a mile from the entrance but learned it was about 45 minutes from there to the visitor's center. Our Senior Pass once again got us free admission. Our tax dollars at work! We traveled twisting and turning roads as we climbed the mountain ranges. What beautiful views down into the valleys below.



We watched the film at the visitor's center and talked to one of the rangers about the best way to see the park. It is very large and spread out. There are three ruins that you have to buy $3 tickets for and the line was extremely long. They were all listed as strenuous, involve climbing ladders and one even has a 12 ft by 18 inch tunnel! She suggested we see the Spruce Tree House and take the Mesa Top Loop Road. The temperatures were fine but the air is thin and they cautioned everyone about not getting into trouble. We took her advice.

The trail to the Spruce Tree House was a mile with a 100 foot descent going and ascent returning. But it was so worth going. It is the best preserved cliff dwelling.








There was a picnic grove in the area of the visitor's center so we stopped there to have a sandwich and drink before starting the loop drive.

One of our stops was at Square Tower House Overlook. The name comes from the four-story high structure still standing against the curving back wall of the alcove. The tower had windows, doorways and flooring and the inner walls had been plastered. About 60 of the original 80 rooms remain.




There were several stops along the way with preserved pithouses, early pueblo villages and kivas.





Our last stop was the viewpoint at Sun Point, one of the best in Mesa Verde. Visible from this spot are a dozen cliff dwellings set in alcoves high up in Cliff and Fewkes Canyons.






Though there is much more to see at this park, it was close to dinner time so we left. On the way out of the park we passed a mare with her colt (pictured). We knew there had to be a stallion somewhere and sure enough there were three following her and the colt. There are many wild mustangs in the lands in the west. It was a treat to see these five.



Tomorrow is church, Ute Indian Casino and Four Corners. I'm trying to stay current with my blog because we have such good wifi here. Stay tuned.