Mesa Verde National Park Tours
Opportunities for special tours change each year, so not all the tours listed on this page will be available in 2021. The five ranger-assisted tours that will be offered in 2021 are:
●Cliff Palace, ●Long House, ●Mug House, ●Square Tower House, and ●Spring House
Road work is expected during the spring and summer. Plan extra travel time within the park.
Opportunities for special tours change each year, so not all the tours listed on this page will be available in 2021. The five ranger-assisted tours that will be offered in 2021 are:
●Cliff Palace, ●Long House, ●Mug House, ●Square Tower House, and ●Spring House
Road work is expected during the spring and summer. Plan extra travel time within the park.
Notifications and Alerts
The Cliff Palace Loop Road is closed for construction through the end of June/early July. There is no access to Cliff Palace, Balcony House, or the Soda Canyon Overlook Trail. Cliff Palace can still be viewed from Sun Temple on the Mesa Top Loop Road.
Mesa Verde National Park does not require a Timed Ticket Entry to enter through the park's entrance station.If you have a current Interagency Annual pass already when entering the park please have a photo I.D available when presenting your pass to the ranger.You may purchase an entrance pass or one of our Interagency Annual Passes upon arrival.We only accept credit cards at the entrance station.
Reservations for cliff palace on June 16,2021 have been cancelled due to construction delays on the Cliff Palace Loop Road. Ticket holders will be issued a 100% refund. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Reservations for cliff palace on June 16,2021 have been cancelled due to construction delays on the Cliff Palace Loop Road. Ticket holders will be issued a 100% refund. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Need to Know
- How to purchase tour tickets
- Daily tours of Cliff Palace, Long House, Mug House, Spring House, and Square Tower House MUST be purchased online through Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. For more information on the variety of tours offered at Mesa Verde National Park, please visit https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/guided_activities.htm.
- Reservations
Tickets are available 14 days in advance,8:00 MDT, on a rolling daily window.(For example,tickets for May 2nd will be available starting April 18th at 8:00 am MDT.Tickets for May 16th will be available on May 2nd at 8:00 MDT.)
PLAN AHEAD.Purchasing tickets in advance are strongly encouraged. Cliff Palace tours are limited to 20 people per tour and Long House are limited to 25 people per tour. Mug House, Square Tower House, and Spring House are limited to 10 people per tour.
All tour tickets will be sold online or by calling 877-444-6777.Tours sell out daily, espicially on holidays and weekends.
If booking more than one tour on the same day please ensure you allow enough time to drive from one site to another and allow adequate time between tours. Please follow the suggested tour times listed on each tour page.
- Park Operations
Although the park is open all year,many areas including Wetherill Mesa and overnight accomodations are closed during the winter months. Be sure to check the park's Visitor Guide or Operating Hours and Seasons page (https://go.nps.gov/myschedule) for details on services available during your visit.
The Museum and Visitor and Research Center are closed at this time.
- Food and Drink
Only plain water is allowed on any tour. Candy, tobacco or gum are NOT permitted into any cliff dwelling.
- Health Warning
All tours are appropriate for well-prepared hikers, but are strenuous, so please consider your physical health before choosing a tour/hike, espicially if you have heart or respiratory problems, or other physical difficulties.Elevations ranges between 7,000 and 7,500 feet (2134 , and 2286 m) above sea level.
We suggest wearing sturdy shoes or boots and bring plenty of water.Your safety depends on your good judgement, adequate preperation, and constant attention.
Children must be able to walk the extent of the trails and climb all ladders on their own without diffculty.All infants must be carried in backpacks while on tours and adults carrying children in backpacks must be able to maintain mobility and balance.
- Entrance Fees and Passes
All visitors to Mesa Verde National Park must pay an entrance fee or show a park pass (Interagency Annual Pass, Interagency Senior Pass, Interagency Military Pass, Interagency Access Pass, or an annual 4th Grade Pass).
Please be prepared to show your hard copy pass or digital pass on your mobile device. We kindly ask if you could have your photo I.D. available to present to the ranger with your pass. Photo copies or digital pass images will not be accepted if you left your hard copy pass at home.
Do you already own a pass? Mesa Verde National Park honors the Interagency Annual and lifetime Passes that are valid at multiple national park and federal sites. If you own one of these passes you do NOT need to purchase a digital site pass.
Are you visiting multiple parks? Upon arrival at Mesa Verde National Park you may purchase Interagency Annual and lifetime passes that allow entry at multiple national parks and federal lands.For information about other pass options, please visit Recreation.gov " Buy a Pass" page or compare the passes at the USGS Pass Store
The park no longer accepts cash or checks for any entrance fees, Interagency Passes, or ticket sales. All purchases must be made by credit card only (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, or Diners Club).
- Tour Ticket Receipt
Important! Bring your receipt. No ticket will be provided, so you must have a copy of your receipt to go on the tour.Because cell service is extremly limited, we cannot access tour reservation at tour sites. Please take a screenshot of your receipt or print a paper copy before you arrive at the park and bring it with you to show the ranger before your tour. Visit Purchasing Tour Tickets or Rrecreation.gov for further details.
- Morefield Campground
Camping at Mesa Verde National Park is operated by Aramark. You may call 1-800-449-2288 for information or to make a reservation. There will not be any laundry services at the campground this season.
- Masks are required in certain areas within the park
- Masks are required inside buildings and where social distancing cannot be maintained.Cliff dwellings and overlooks are considered high visitor use areas and are mask zones.
Booking Windows
Tickets are available 14 days in advance, 8:00 am MST, on a rolling daily window. (For example, tickets for May 2nd will be available starting April 18th at 8:00 am MDT. Tickets for May 16th will be available on May 2nd at 8:00 am MDT.)
Purchasing tickets in advance are strongly encouraged. All tour tickets will be sold online or by calling 877-444-6777.
Changes and Cancellations
Cancellations must be completed at least 24-hours before your scheduled tour start time for a full refund minus the non-refundable per-ticket reservation fee. Refunds will not be given for tours cancelled or modified less than 24-hours before the scheduled tour time.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
PO Box 8 Mesa Verde CO 81330
Phone Number
970-529-4465
