COME TO LIFE / Cortez, Mancos, Dolores ANCIENT TREASURES DAY 1 Make your homebase in Cortez , an hour from Mesa Verde Nation-al Park. Whether you stay at a B&B, cabin or guest ranch, Cortez has tons of excellent dining and shopping opportunities. But save walking around town for later — you have a national park to explore. Stop by the Colorado Welcome Center (3) on Main Street to pick up the National Geographic Four Corners Region Map , which gives local insights into the area’s offerings. Then head to the “green table” of Mesa Verde National Park (2) , home to more than 4,000 archae-ological sites, 600 of which are cliff dwellings. Orient yourself at the Visitor and Research Center , where you can pick up maps and brochures, see exhibits and purchase tickets for tours. Only two cliff dwellings are open for self-guided tours, so if you want to go inside the amazing Cliff Palace, you must nab a spot on a guided tour. From the visitor center, browse the exhibits in the Chapin Mesa COLORADO MOUNTAINS & MESAS Be sure to visit COLORADO.com/ ColoRoadT rips for even more itiner aries! One of the richest archaeological zones in America just happens to be hidden amid some of the grandest scenery in the Southwest. Visit Mesa Verde Country — Cortez, Mancos and Dolores — for a true taste of ancient treasures. Archeological Museum . Then drive the Mesa Top Loop Road , a 6-mile overview of the entire park. On your way to Cliff Palace or Balcony House, enjoy the drive on the Cliff Palace/Balcony House Loop Road. Or if you purchased tickets for Long House, take Wetherill Mesa Drive. One lodging option is Canyon of the Ancients Guest Ranch , a peaceful place to rest your head after exploring all of the area’s sights. Choose from several rustically beautiful cabins and homes, including an ancient Pueblo-inspired structure; and purchase fresh produce and meats farmed on site to prepare your own meals. DAY 2 Travel the 116-mile Trail of the Ancients , America’s only National Scenic Byway dedicated solely to archaeology. From Cortez, wind past Mesa Verde to Ute Mountain Tribal Park (1) in Towaoc , where Ute guides help you explore the culture, architecture and art of the Ute and Ancestral Puebloan people. From here, pass Four CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: UTE MOUNTAIN TRIBAL PARK, MIKE WILKINSON; POTTERY, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE; CLIFF PALACE AT MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, JIM DAVID; COLORADO WELCOME CENTER IN CORTEZ, MILES/MATT INDEN; LONG VIEW HOUSE IN MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, JAMES BRANAMAN. 2 1 2 3 QUICK TIP 174 / Whatever route you take, download the Ancient Voices audio tour from mesaverdecountry.com to learn about the many archaeological attractions, as well as local history, Western stories, botany, cosmology, music and life in ancient Puebloan times. 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2020: Page 174
