The magnitude of the dwellings capture our imagination as we weave in and out, up and down the various rooms. Truly a spectacle worth the cost of admission.
August 6–8, 2021
Though in our homestate of Colorado, the drive down to Mesa Verde National Park is just far enough to warrant a weekend stay. So after a beautiful six hour drive through the San Juan mountains of Colorado, we land at Morefield Campground near the top of the mesa. Local wildfire smoke The sun has set so we pitch camp under the light of headlamps and await the next day.
When morning arrives, we scope out the area and take to the two park roads navigating both Chapin Mesa and Wetherill Mesa where the majority of the dwellings are located before our appointed tour at 1 p.m. Many roadside pulloffs offer a glimpse into Pueblo culture. Down Chapin Mesa, we stop at Pit House, a near-perfect circular hole in the ground covered with a makeshift roof of wood and clay. Many of these mesa-top pithouses are scattered throughout the drive, but our next stop is Sun Temple, a ceremonial site with walls once 11–14 feet tall and no roof. We walk through the maze-like footprint of the temple and marvel at the craftsmanship and skill needed to complete such a project.
With 1 p.m. nearing, we drive over to Weatherill Mesa, the beginning location of our tour of Long House. Told to arrive early, we wait for the ranger by strolling nearby paths along the mesa. A western scrub-jay flits along the path as we make our way back to the tour trailhead, ready to begin the main event. The trail to Long House starts with a sharp descent of several switchbacks before leveling out and approaching the cliff dwellings. As we approach the ruins, a sense of awe and disbelief fill our minds. The magnitude of the dwellings capture our imagination as we weave in and out, up and down the various rooms. Truly a spectacle worth the cost of admission.
After the tour, we return to the mesa top and explore other viewpoints along the way back to the campsite. Among these are the infamous Cliff Palace, the largest ruin site, and Square Tower House, an impressive three-story tall dwelling built into the cliffside. We imagine what it was like to be the first to discover these sites, one after another so dense in such a small area.
We grab some dinner at Far View Lodge and return back to camp for our last night. Waking up for sunrise the next morning we are amused to find a doe and two fawns strolling the campground before the day begins. We pack up our belongings and drive out of the park, and not a moment too soon. As we drive, regional wildfire smoke begins to settle in the valleys obscuring the sun casting an eerie glow over the landscape. Grateful for the clear day yesterday, we drive home reminiscing about our time in the park.
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