Mesa Verde National Park — Visitor Info

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Mesa Verde National Park protects nearly 5,000 archeological sites, including some of the best-preserved ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings in the country — Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Long House among them. Here's what to know before you go.

Page content last verified: July 2026

Check current conditions before you go: Touring the major cliff dwellings requires a separately-ticketed, ranger-led tour that involves ladders and tight spaces — these sell out, so book as early as your reservation window allows. Always check the official Mesa Verde Alerts & Conditions page first.
Quick Facts
Location
Southwest Colorado
Entrance Fee
$30/vehicle summer, $20/vehicle winter (7 days)
Reservation Needed to Enter?
No — but separate paid tickets are required for cliff dwelling tours
Permit Needed For
Ranger-led cliff dwelling tours (ticketed)
Lodging
Far View Lodge (in-park, seasonal); Morefield Campground; nearby Cortez/Mancos
Managed By
National Park Service

Visitor Centers

Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center
Near the park entrance, before the long drive up to the mesa top. This is where cliff dwelling tour tickets are picked up — plan to stop here first.

Confirm current hours on the official NPS visitor centers page before you go. Note it's about a 45-minute, 21-mile drive from the entrance up to Chapin Mesa and the cliff dwellings.

Entrance Fees & Passes

The entrance fee is $30 per vehicle in summer (May 1–Oct 22) or $20 in winter (Oct 23–Apr 30), plus per-person and motorcycle rates, all valid 7 days. An Annual Pass is $55. Entrance fees are credit/debit or contactless only (cash and cards are both fine for food and gifts inside the park). Cell connectivity is limited — print or save your pass and any tour tickets before you arrive.

Every Kid Outdoors — Free 4th Grade Pass

4th graders (and their families) can visit free with an Every Kid Outdoors pass, available at everykidoutdoors.gov.

Cliff Dwelling Tours

The park's most famous cliff dwellings — Cliff Palace, Balcony House, Long House, Square Tower House, and Mug House — can only be visited on a separately ticketed, ranger-led tour; you can't access them on your own. Tours open for booking a limited number of days in advance and fill up quickly. Some involve climbing ladders, crawling through tight tunnels, and significant elevation change — they're not accessible to everyone, so check the specific physical requirements before booking.

Many other cliff dwellings and sites (like the view of Cliff Palace or Square Tower House from overlooks, and the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum) can be seen without a ticket.

Campgrounds & RV Options

Morefield Campground is the only campground in the park — a large, shaded campground with both tent and RV sites.

Morefield Campground
Roughly 267 sites for tents, trailers, and RVs, including a limited number of full-hookup sites that book up fast. Maximum RV/trailer length around 46 ft. Dump station and fresh water fill available. Near a grocery store, gas station, and gift shop, about 4 miles from the main entrance — still 15–20 miles from the cliff dwellings themselves.

Fees, hookup availability, and current season dates: NPS – Camping.

Good to Know

  • Book tours first, plan the rest around them: cliff dwelling tour tickets are the hardest thing to get here — lock those in before finalizing your itinerary.
  • Long drive within the park: allow real time to reach Chapin Mesa or Wetherill Mesa from the entrance — it's not a quick stop.
  • Gas available in-park near Morefield Campground, a rarity among these parks.
  • Limited cell service: save tour tickets and maps offline before you arrive.
  • Elevation and heat: the mesa top sits over 7,000 feet — pace yourself on tours with ladders and climbing.

More National Parks

See our other National Park visitor guides, or browse the full National Parks guide.

Fees, tour ticketing, and campground availability change from year to year. This page is a starting point for trip planning — always confirm current details on the official Mesa Verde National Park site before you go.

Sources: NPS – Fees & Passes · NPS – Cliff Dwelling Tours · NPS – Camping · NPS – Alerts & Conditions