Mesa Verda, the “Green Table,” was home to Ancestral Pueblo people for over 700 years. They lived on the mesa and built communities in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. The remains of over 600 cliff dwellings have been discovered in this sacred place.
In this episode we travel north from Gallup, NM, through the Navajo Nation along the scenic highway 491 corridor passing many spectacular monuments. This area is only about 100 miles east of Monument Valley. We stayed at another incredible #harvesthosts Yellow Car Country Wines which is very big rig friendly with (5) 45 ft gravel spaces.
Mesa Verde National Park | Cliff Dwellings //S1Ep7
Durango, CO
Only a 40-minute drive from the Mesa Verde park entrance is the historic mining town of Durango, CO. If you have an extra day, go explore this small town, as it has lots to offer. We did a half-day scenic steam-engine train ride on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad. The ride begins in downtown Durango and takes you north along the Animas River towards the town of Silverton. During the summer months, you can do a round-trip all-day ride to Silverton which includes a couple of hours to explore the town. The half-day ride that we did takes you about half-way, to Cascade Canyon and includes an hour-long stop beside the river, providing an opportunity to experience the gorgeous landscape and even have a picnic if you wish. The views through the canyon are incredible and makes this a must-do experience.
Links and Resources
Mesa Verde National Park
https://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm
Mesa Verde is such an amazing place with all the cliff dwellings. It’s fascinating to imaging the ancient Pueblo people farming up on the mesa and then descending into their villages each evening with such spectacular views of the canyon. Of course, they did this to make their homes more defensible. This is definitely worth a visit.
Cortez, CO
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60857-Activities-Cortez_Colorado.html
Cortez, CO is the closest town to the entrance to Mesa Verde. It is pretty small but definitely worth checking out if you have some extra time. We enjoyed a local brewery and walked around the downtown shops.
Yellow Car Country Wines
https://www.yellowcarcountrywines.com/
You definitely have to spend a night at this small, quaint winery. The owners are incredible and they love Harvest Hosts! So much so, they built five 45ft RV spots that have a solid rock base and are amazingly level. This is a perfect spot to spend an evening relaxing before or after your Mesa Verde visit.
Join Harvest Hosts here and get a discount (look for the discount code at the top of the page after you click).
Durango, CO
https://www.durango.org/
Durango-Silverton Narrow Guage Railroad
https://www.durangotrain.com/
America the Beautiful Pass
https://usparkpass.com/
For $80, this annual pass provides free admission to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas across the country for a driver and all passengers in a personal vehicle. Considering most fee areas are around $35 each, it will save you a tremendous amount if you plan to visit more than two areas in a twelve-month period.