Thinking about visiting Mesa Verde National Park with kids? Here’s all the best tips to have a fun trip!
The Mesa Verde National Park is located in southwestern Colorado near Cortez, and a little less than 40 minutes from Durango.
This United States National Park is full of history and amazing viewpoints!
Mesa Verde is known for it’s cliff dwellings. The largest cliff dwelling in North America, Cliff Palace, is located here.
Our 4 kids really enjoyed this park. I recommend that families with younger kids plan to arrive in the morning, pack a lunch to eat in the car, and then plan on leaving the park by late afternoon.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit!
What to Know Before You Go
Guided tour reservations are needed if you want to go near the cliff dwellings.
You can definitely experience a lot of what this park has to offer without going on the guided tours. Our family chose to see the cliff dwellings from a distance because we have younger kids who would have been nervous on the tall ladders which lead in and out of the cliff dwellings.
However, if your kids are tween and teens, definitely look into the guided tours. They are the only way to access the cliff dwellings and see things up close.
If you want to do a guided tour, visit https://www.recreation.gov/ to make reservations.
It takes about an hour to travel from some of the archaeological sites to the park entrance, so plan accordingly. We packed a lunch and plenty of water to keep us hydrated.
Certain points are closed during certain times of the year. Surprisingly, you can’t visit Wetherill Mesa along with Step House and Long House on certain days of the week. It was completely closed when we tried to visit on a Tuesday last June. You can check out the days it is closed here.
Also, Mesa Verde has a lot of pit bathrooms, meaning there’s no running water. If you want nicer bathrooms, be sure to stop at the Far View Terrace (on your way in and out) and the Mesa Verde Museum has some bathrooms nearby as well.
I try to avoid pit bathrooms whenever possible. If you know, you know.
What to Bring
Comfortable Walking Shoes – You’ll be walking a lot. Some of the trails are up stairs, steep inclines, and rustic hiking paths. So plan accordingly, and be sure your kids aren’t wearing flip flops.
Sunscreen – This is a must for a day in the sun! There’s not a lot of shade in Mesa Verde, so sunscreen up.
Lunch – Many points in Mesa Verde are about an hour from the entrance and the roads are full of switchbacks, so you’ll want to stay in the park. Pack a cooler in your vehicle to have a picnic lunch later.
Water – Bring plenty of water – more than you think you’ll need as it can get really hot walking in this park. There’s not a lot of shade here!
Hand Sanitizing Wipes – Chances are pretty good that you or one of your family members will need to use a pit bathroom without running water. These wipes are great for “handwashing” without water.
What to Do at Mesa Verde National Park
First, I’d recommend heading for Park Point Overlook. It’s a short hike that’s perfect for young children with a great reward.
This is a neat lookout point and the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park.
You can see the Rocky Mountains from here and my kids were fascinated by the cacti here as well.
One thing we really thought was cool was that you can see all the way into Utah from here. There were some signs that helped us figure out where a landmark called Shiprock was. We were able to track this landmark throughout our trip, which was really neat.
Next, if it’s open, I’d recommend a stop at Wetherill Mesa along with Step House and Long House. Unfortunately, we missed seeing this on our last trip because it was closed. Check the days it’s open here.
Be sure to stop at Mesa Verde Museum.
The museum itself wasn’t super interesting to my kids, but it was a great stop for bathrooms. The real reason for the stop is behind the museum…
Right behind the museum you can find the cliff dwelling called Spruce Tree House. There’s an amazing overlook. Surprisingly, the trail next to it does not offer better views than what you get from up above.
This is your classic photo op for the cliff dwellings.
Next, make your way via car to Cliff Palace, which is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. This overlook has a lot of stairs to get there, but the view is pretty amazing.
It’s definitely one of the most impressive cliff dwellings. If you want to get a closer look you’ll need a reservation for the ranger-guided tour.
As you can see, we had a pretty good birds-eye view without actually taking the Cliff Palace tour.
Next, we traveled onward to see other cliff dwellings from afar including House of Many Windows and Hemenway House, which aren’t marked on the park map, but have pullouts along the road to stop along.
You’ll see Balcony House on the map, but you won’t be able to see Balcony House from this stopping point because it is located directly underneath you!
Some people wait at this stop for their Balcony House tour reservation, but most people hanging out are looking for Balcony House.
When we were there, a park ranger informed us that if we didn’t have a cliff-dwelling tour, the best place to view Balcony House was at the next stop along the road.
To see Balcony House without a tour guide, you’ll need to go to Soda Canyon Overlook Trail.
This 1.2 mile hike will take you to an overlook point where you can see the Balcony House. If you’re looking for a hike, this is a generally easy one. The only thing that makes it difficult is the heat and length of the hike.
There’s also another trail that offshoots from here that gives great views of the mesas. Keep in mind that it’s a good idea to keep little kids near you. There are steep drop-offs at the overlook areas.
As I mentioned, it’s a 1.2 mile trail to the overlooks and then of course you have to walk another 1.2 miles back to your car, so it can be a bit much for younger kids.
Check out the look on my youngest child’s face. She was feeling it!
Make sure to carry water bottles with you and one of my tricks for engaging my youngest child on a hike is to play games like “give that tree a silly name” or “count the cacti.”
My older kids really enjoyed hiking, exploring, and seeing all the desert vegetation and prickly pear cacti.
On your way out of the park, be sure to check out one of the many overlook points. You’ll be amazed at the views of the Rocky Mountains from here!
I hope this has been helpful in planning your trip to Mesa Verde National Park.
If you are in the Mesa Verde area, you might also like to visit the Great Sand Dunes National Park as well. It’s another great place for families with young kids.
You can learn all about Visiting the Grand Canyon with kids here. It’s definitely worth the hype!
Plus you can grab a free printable Road Trip Packing List here. Perfect for families getting ready for a big road trip!
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