COME TO LIFE | Cortez, Mancos, Dolores Adventures Ancient Mesa Verde National Park Day 1 One of the richest archaeological zones in the U.S. is hidden amid some of the grandest natural landscapes in the Southwest. Visit Mesa Verde Country — Cortez, Mancos and Dolores — for awe-inspiring adventures. Make your home base in Cortez, an hour from Mesa Verde National Park. Whether you stay at a yurt, cabin or guest ranch, Cortez has excellent dining and shopping opportunities. Check out the new Zu Gallery for artist exhibits, workshops and a social spot serving Colorado-crafted libations. But save in-town exploits for later — you have a national park to explore. Stop by the Colorado Welcome Center for travel tips from locals on the way. Head to the “green table” of Mesa Verde National Park, home to 4,700-plus archaeological sites, 600 of which are cliff dwellings. Pick up maps and brochures, see exhibits and buy tour tickets at the Visitor and Research Center. Only one cliff dwelling (Step House) is open for self-guided exploration, so if you want to enter the famed Cliff Palace, you must take a guided tour. For an overview of the full park, drive the 6-mile Mesa Top Loop Road while listening to the audio tour (available on nps.gov/meve). Mesa Verde is also an International Dark-Sky Park, so don’t miss the chance to view staggeringly starry skies on clear nights. Day 2 JIM DAVID. 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 150 1-800-COLORADO
Colorado Official State Vacation Guide 2023: Page 150
