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FirstTracks
Explorer
Oct 10, 2018

Video TR: Mesa Verde National Park, CO

It's been a while since I posted one of our video TRs here, but Mesa Verde is such a special place that I feel compelled to do so.

We found stellar boondocking on USFS land for just about any size rig on Madden Peak Road in Mancos, just 15 minutes from the main entrance to Mesa Verde. For those who may be unaware, Mesa Verde is a collection of ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings and we tour Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America that dates back to 1190 AD. The craftsmanship that these people exhibited in building these small villages is nothing short of remarkable, and it's a testament to that craftsmanship that these residences are largely still standing over 800 years later.

If you do visit Mesa Verde, by all means sign up for one of the tours. That way you get to view the dwellings up close, rather than just from a distance from the canyon rim. You also gain fascinating insight from the explanations the ranger gives during your one-hour tour.

OK, without further ado here's the video:

https://youtu.be/BN1vFQ234iI
  • agesilaus wrote:
    From the last time we were there, you better sign up for the tours online well before you get there. They were booked solid for days and only one was a non-reserved tour.


    We were there twice, both last year and this year in early September. Both times I was able to walk in and get a tour ticket for the next available tour without any difficulty at all, with barely enough time to drive from the Visitor Center to the tour meeting point. If I'd wanted to give myself more time for the drive the entire rest of the day was still available, too.

    What time of year were you there?
  • From the last time we were there, you better sign up for the tours online well before you get there. They were booked solid for days and only one was a non-reserved tour.

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