Mountain biking enthusiasts are taking notice of Mesa Verde Country in Southwest Colorado as one of the next great mountain biking destinations. From single tracks to challenging climbs in the San Juan Mountains, Mesa Verde Country offers more than 600 miles of trails that traverse slick rock, old-growth forest and even ancient archaeological sites.
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Get in touch with your inner archaeologist at Mesa Verde National Park, named a World Heritage Site for its well-preserved homes and artifacts of the Ancestral Puebloans. Visit the elaborate rock masonry dwellings they lived in centuries ago.
When you visit here, your experience is defined by the culture and history of this magical place. But equally important is your home away from home; where you rest your head each night after a day of fun and adventure. Here, meet three of the people who define Mesa Verde Country’s hospitality legacy.
Mesa Verde Country was recently awarded a $25,000 grant from the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO). We’re using that money to create downloadable podcasts that will help you learn about the area’s rich archaeological history when you visit!
The “Ancient Voices” audio driving tour will share information about the many archaeological attractions in Mesa Verde Country, as well as local history, Western stories, botany, cosmology, music and life in ancient Puebloan times. Now, you will have even more resources available to enjoy the rich archaeology in our area. As we like to say, “one day just isn’t enough!” to see all of this.
Restaurateur Desmond Calhoon is a betting man.
Because of a longstanding wager with his sibling—and a little serendipity—Blondie’s Trophy Room in his hometown of Cortez, Colorado, came to fruition.
Mesa Verde Country is an incredible place to visit any time of the year. But winter can be particularly spectacular when the area is carpeted in snow. And special events like this one make it even more magical!
On Friday, Jan. 6, Mesa Verde National Park is hosting a free, all-ages moonlight snowshoe and ski event. It’s part of the park’s Winter Fest. The Morefield Campground winter trails will be open from 6-10 p.m. for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
It’s true that most things in life aren’t free. But here’s something that is! Admission to Mesa Verde National Park – for 10 days in 2017, at least.
The park has announced that it is offering FREE admission on these 10 days in 2017. It’s just one more reason to plan your trip to Mesa Verde Country in the New Year!
Just because the snow is flying doesn’t mean the fun ends in Mesa Verde Country! In fact, Mesa Verde Country has snow, mountains, sunshine and everything you need for the perfect cold-weather getaway at an affordable price. And, it’s all within driving distance of Denver, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Las Vegas. Grab your skis and your mittens and join us for some winter fun this season!
The luminaria show will go on in Mesa Verde Country! The traditional open house event was cancelled at Mesa Verde National Park because of ongoing concerns about the stability of the rock arch in the Spruce Tree House alcove.
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Sweet. Hot.
Jalapeño. Serrano. Poblano. Chipotle.
We’re talking peppers.
And Tess Montaño Forth can tell you all about them. This restaurateur is the owner and operator of Pepperhead, the downtown Cortez, Colorado eatery that has won the hearts and appetites of residents and scores of visitors alike, with its fresh southwest-style food. The menu has deep roots in her family’s culinary tradition, with an up-to-date approach that makes use of abundant, organic, locally sourced meats and produce in Mesa Verde Country.
Boutique Air, where you can “fly private for the cost of commercial,” recently began service to/from Cortez to Denver and Phoenix. This is great news for travelers, who now have another, convenient option for getting to Mesa Verde Country to enjoy all the amazing activities and attractions for which our area is famous.
From Cortez Municipal Airport, there are three daily flight options to Denver and one to Phoenix. Prices start at just $59 each way. The typical Boutique aircraft seats between 8-20 passengers.
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Il sud-ovest del Colorado è semplicemente qualcosa di diverso. Un soffio d’aria calda e secca del deserto, uno splendido paesaggio d’alta montagna a 4.400m d’altitudine, chiamato San Juan Mountains, acqua fresca di sorgente e numerose grotte sulle scogliere, chiamate “Cliff Dwellings”. Non c’è da stupirsi che gli indiani nativi abbiano popolato questa zona per così tanto tempo. Non riuscivo a crederci quando ho visitato questi luoghi antichi nel parco nazionale di Mesa Verde. Ai visitatori internazionali che vogliono conoscere la cultura degli indiani raccomando di visitare i seguenti luoghi:
Colorados Südwesten ist einfach anders. Ein Hauch von warmer und trockener Wüstenluft, eine atemberaubende, 4,400m hohe Bergkulisse der sogenannten San Juan Mountains, frisches Quellwasser und zahlreiche Höhlen an steilen Felsen, sogenannte „Cliff Dwellings“. Kein Wunder, dass einheimische Indianer diese Gegend für lange Zeit besiedelten. Ich konnte es einfach nicht glauben, als ich im Mesa Verde National Park diese antiken Stätten besuchte. Für internationale Besucher, die die Kultur der Indianer erleben wollen, empfehle ich die folgenden Orte zu besuchen:
Le Sud-Ouest du Colorado est simplement différent. Une touche d’air du désert, chaud et sec, un paysage superbe de 4.400m de haute montagne, nommés les « San Juan Mountains », l’eau de source fraîche et de nombreuses grottes sur rochers escarpés du nom de « Cliff Dwellings ». Il n’est pas étonnant que les Amérindiens natifs aient peuplé cette région pendant longtemps. Je ne pouvais pas croire mes yeux quand j’ai visité ces sites anciens dans le parc national de Mesa Verde. Pour les visiteurs internationaux qui veulent découvrir la culture des Amérindiens, je vous recommande de visiter les endroits suivants :
Recently, The Perennial Plate, a two-time James Beard Award winning online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating, featured a documentary about Cortez’s own Bessie White.
Autumn is arguably one of the best times to visit Mesa Verde Country. It’s an area renowned for its rich culture, history, agritourism, adventure and more. Fall colors bloom, and the crisp air is just right for outdoor recreation – no scorching heat or biting cold!
Mesa Verde Country has a strong agricultural tradition. The Ancestral Puebloans were the first agriculturalists in the area. They farmed the valleys and the mesas of Montezuma County, including Mesa Verde National Park, until around 1300 A.D.
Laughing Wolf Farm, of Mancos, Colorado, has been cultivating Mesa Verde Country’s indigenous foods for four years now, under the stewardship of conservationist-turned-farmer Ms. Lee-Ann Hill. Lee-Ann explains that her career and study of sustainable landscapes and water conservation was a natural entree into ecological, highly localized agriculture. But to hear her describe what she does now, and why, is more like art than science. In short, it’s a bit of both.
Elevation Outdoors Magazine is hosting its annual Top Adventure Town Contest, and Cortez is in the running for the mid-size town category. The public poll contest will culminate with one winner in each category – small towns, mid-size towns and large cities.
Cortez Balloon Rally August 5-7
Going strong for the past decade, see this colorful spectacle this weekend!
Chef Derek Fontenot comes by his French cooking expertise honestly: he was trained at the Culinary Art Institute of Louisiana where he mastered French Creole and Cajun cooking. Now, he brings that technique and puts a solid Colorado spin on it at the Metate Room at Farview Lodge, Mesa Verde National Park’s fine dining restaurant.
It’s the green chili stew and blue corn muffins at The Farm Bistro in Cortez, Colorado.
In a word: Yum. In two words? Organically grown.
Rusty and Laurie Hall, restaurateurs, established this popular Mesa Verde Country restaurant seven years ago; it was born of a love of raising food on their nearby 70-acre farm.
“The Farm Bistro started as an outgrowth of us actively growing vegetables and selling them at farmers markets and to restaurants,” says Laurie. “Now our daughter and son-in-law grow stuff for the restaurant.” The family farm, local independent growers, the Southwest Farm Fresh Coop and several others supply the eatery with salad greens, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, corn, onions, potatoes—and even edible flowers. The goal is to make the best use of whatever is seasonally fresh and available.
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