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8-13-21 – Celebrate Cortez!

8-13-21 – Celebrate Cortez!

SHARE YOUR Mesa Verde MEMORIES WITH US

Connect with Mesa Verde County on social media and share your adventures with #ExploreMesaVerde.

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📷 Calling all photographers! 📷 We're on the

📷 Calling all photographers! 📷

We're on the lookout for a stunning, new take on Cliff Palace photography. Do you have an eye for the breathtaking with a unique angle? Get in touch with us and we may feature your image on the cover of our next Travel Guide!

📷: @gregconnphotography #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #MesaVerde #MesaVerdeNationalPark #MesaVerdeNP #FourCorners #cliffdwellings #southwestcolorado #winter #snow #CliffPalace #landscapephotography

It's time for ✨Responsible Travel Tip Wednesday!

It's time for ✨Responsible Travel Tip Wednesday!✨

This week's tip: 🏜 Keep wildlife wild. 🏜

Think of wildlife as the moderately famous, elusive neighbor to our metaphorical backyard you’re visiting. You can look and even snap appropriate photos, but it’s best if you give them some space, don’t get too loud and disrupt them, don’t offer them food, and definitely don’t chase them or stress them out.

If you keep your distance, you might get lucky and even get some wildlife to strike a pose for you, like this little collared lizard pictured here!

📷: @mfordney #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #FourCorners #SouthwestColorado #responsibletravel #wildlife #collaredlizard #lizard

Mesa Verde National Park in the winter is so under

Mesa Verde National Park in the winter is so under-rated! We love visiting this time of year to enjoy the dwellings and views in solitude. 🥰 What's your favorite time of year to visit Mesa Verde?

🎥: @just.beba #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #MesaVerde #MesaVerdeNationalPark #MesaVerdeNP #FourCorners #cliffdwellings #southwestcolorado #winter #snow

Mesa Verde National Park is like no other. It’s

Mesa Verde National Park is like no other. It’s the only National Park dedicated to ‘preserving the works of man’ and combines natural beauty with the cultural of the Ancestral Puebloans who created a thriving civilization in the park’s mesa tops, canyons and cliff walls thousands of years ago.

A trip to this national park is a learning experience for families and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Explore preserved villages, trails, and famous sites like Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and more.

📷: @durangovacationrental and @daphnebphotography #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #MesaVerdeNationalPark #MesaVerde #MesaVerdeNP #MesaVerdeNPS #nationalpark #southwestcolorado #fourcorners

It's time for ✨Responsible Travel Tip Wednesday!

It's time for ✨Responsible Travel Tip Wednesday!✨

This week's tip: 🏜 Be careful with fire. 🏜

Mesa Verde Country is a mountain desert ecosystem, and our dry conditions can make for risky fire settings. Know before you go out if fires are permitted, and where. If they are, keep your fire small and contained. We prefer small campfires anyway, because they’re cozy and allow for better stargazing.

After you’re stuffed with s’mores, completely extinguish (more water than you’d think) all fires, and that applies to everything from a campfire down to a cigarette.

Our favorite kind of fire? The fiery ski made by this gorgeous sunset! 🔥😍

📷: @shellyrosy #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #sleepingutemountain #FourCorners #SouthwestColorado #responsibletravel #firesafety

Did you know that off-season camping opens on Apri

Did you know that off-season camping opens on April 14th at Mesa Verde National Park? ⛺️

During the spring off-season you can camp at Morefield Campground, but there are less services available, so in addition to extra warm layers (spring nights can be chilly!), we recommend bringing your own food, water, ice and firewood and make sure to pack your trash out when you leave!

Spring is an amazing time to visit the park, as the trails and viewpoints are less busy, and the stargazing is even better if the nights are cold!

📷 : @mitchholthaus #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #stargazing #stars #stargaze #darkskypark #mesaverde #mesaverdenationalpark #MVNP #mesaverdeNPS #camping #morefieldcampground #astrophotography #fourcorners

Hovenweep National Monument turns 100 years old to

Hovenweep National Monument turns 100 years old today! 🎉🎉

A message from the Hovenweep National Park Service:
"A lot has happened in the last 100 years, especially at the monument. We added more sites, built a visitor center, welcomed a new neighbor in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, became a International Dark Sky Park, and thoroughly enjoyed having paved roads to town (at least, the rangers have).

We also acknowledge that Hovenweep has been a special place for a lot longer than 100 years. The first people to explore this canyon were Paleoindians thousands of years ago. Ancestral Puebloans built the structures here 800 years ago. We hope to not only celebrate the monument’s centennial, but the thousands of years of Hovenweep’s cultural significance and history. Please join us in celebrating and commemorating this special place in 2023 and beyond!"

Let's cheers to that! Happy celebrating, Hovenweep!

📷: @westenhikes #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #hovenweepnationalmonument #hovenweep

It's time for ✨Responsible Travel Tip Wednesday!

It's time for ✨Responsible Travel Tip Wednesday!✨

This week's tip: 🏜 Leave it as you found it. 🏜

At first glance, it might not seem fair that you can’t take a little rock home as a souvenir from your special vacation or pick some wildflowers to enjoy for the rest of the day. But you don’t get to take art out of a museum, and that doesn’t make it any less valuable of a visit, right?

Just remember, the wildlife needs those plants and rocks to stay as they are, and the rest of us get to enjoy the beauty that much longer when we leave things as we find them.

There are a lot of historical sites and items throughout Mesa Verde Country, but they’re special because they’ve been there that long. That story changes as soon as they’re removed, and you don’t really want to be responsible for that.

You can certainly take some souvenirs with you, in the form of pictures. Take all the photos you want, and maybe consider leaving the geotag off (that kind of makes it your special, secret place, too).

📷: @dot_alford25 #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #MesaVerdeNationalPark #MesaVerde #Archaeology #FourCorners #SouthwestColorado #responsibletravel #trailetiquette

Can you guess the name of this cliff dwelling? W

Can you guess the name of this cliff dwelling?

We'll give you a couple of hints!

🏜 This cliff dwelling has the tallest structure in Mesa Verde National Park.
🏜 Visiting this site requires an adventurous and strenuous hike on a ranger-guided tour.
🏜You can see this impressive dwelling from the Mesa Top Loop in the park.

Leave your guesses in the comments below!

📷: @digital_samadhi #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #MesaVerdeNationalPark #MesaVerdeNP #nps #cliffdwellings

Looking for a unique way to experience the outdoor

Looking for a unique way to experience the outdoors? Look no further than birdwatching in Mesa Verde Country! 🐦🌳

Our communities and surrounding landscapes are home to a wide variety of bird species, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and pygmy owls (like the one pictured here). Our diverse terrain and habitats are a birdwatcher's paradise.

Whether you're an experienced birder or a curious beginner, there are plenty of opportunities to spot some feathered friends. Take a hike in the stunning Mesa Verde National Park, explore the McPhee Reservoir, or wander through the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. You never know what kind of bird you might spot! 🦉

📷: @natalie.tamminga #ExploreMesaVerde #MesaVerdeCountry #birding #birdwatching #owl #pygmyowl #sanjuannationalforest #southerncolorado #fourcorners

Weather in Mesa Verde

Cortez

34°

Snow Shower

TueWedThu

41/39°F
43/23°F
43/23°F

Weather forecast Cortez, Colorado ▸

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