Mesa Verde Visitor & Research Center — Attraction in Mancos

So much to do here. Good thing there is lodging and camping if you want to stay and take it all in. There is great information in the visitor center with detailed maps, souvenirs, and Park Rangers to advise you on appropriate destinations for your group. For example, we had a handicapped individual with our group so we mostly did a car ride drive-thru, which provided spectacular views, and stopped at the lookout points clearly marked throughout. The trails all vary in intensity: easy, moderate, or intense and are aqurate to the listed description. A beautiful display of history. There are several places to get food and more souvenirs throuout. Telescope are at several lookouts so you can get a bird's-eye view. The roads are winding and nicely paved. In fact, as we got further in the trip you could tell the roads were freshly paved, basically it's very well taken care of. One thing to be mindful of is some trips, the ones that are upclose to the cliff dwellings, need a ticket and reserved in advance. We also saw tour busses with Park Rangers to explore the sites. You could easily spend days here but we enjoyed the day trip emensely. One additional note, the payment to get in is by the car load, which I believe was $30 and would have been well worth it, but since we had a Veteran in our carload we had free admission. This was totally worth...

The Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center was the perfect first stop for exploring the vast Mesa Verde National Park. It offered a great introduction to the park’s rich history and natural beauty. The rangers and volunteers were exceptionally helpful, providing valuable insights and making the experience even more enjoyable. They provided detailed maps that made navigating the park much easier. The center also features a great little store with a variety of books, souvenirs, and gifts that add to the visit. Additionally, the facility is well-maintained, with clean restrooms and a convenient water filling station for staying hydrated during your adventure. The preservation work done here with artifacts is truly impressive and adds depth to the understanding of the park’s history. My only regret is that the tours need to be scheduled online; it would be more convenient if they could be arranged directly at the center. Overall, it served as an excellent gateway to the wonders of the rest...

The Mesa Verde Visitor Center is located just south of Highway 160 and is the first place to stop. It is a beautiful building opened in 2012. It reflects an environmentally friendly design with magnificent views from both the inside and outside. Lots of parking for regular vehicles and larger RVs. Rangers available to answer questions and help plan your day. A small bookstore offers good quality books, tee shirts, caps, replica pottery, and other assorted souvenirs. Bathrooms are large enough to accommodate bus groups and large crowds. The grounds are landscaped with native vegetation and the colorful flowers are beautiful during warmer months. A spectacular bronze statue depicting a cliff dweller climbing down a hand and toe hold trail is seen as you enter the front entrance area. Handicap parking is available close to the building. The spectacular Point Lookout landmark is seen to the south. Really stunning...