Hike the Long House Trail

This is a great opportunity to see two historic cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park within a relatively short period of time. Schedule your day around getting tickets to Long House, then taking a bit of a side trek to the Step House when you have the time. The tour begins at the Weatherhill Mesa information kiosk, and is a two hour ranger-guided excursion. You will learn all about the h...

This two mile round-trip trail leaves from the information kiosk near Long House and Step House, and leads through and area severely burned by the 2000 Pony Fire.  There's no shade on this trail, so if you are doing it during the hotter months, be sure to bring a lot of water and sun protection. The trail is very straightforward out and back, well marked and easy to follow. From the information...

Pick up a trail brochure for information on the interpretive signs. There are some steep and narrow portions of the trail, so make sure everyone in your party is of able physical capability. 

The Spruce Canyon trail is very well taken care of. The trail begin with a descent into Spruce Tree Canyon and then follows a stream for 3/4 of a mile before climbing a side canyon back up to the ridge. The trailhead is located on the Chapin Mesa within Mesa Verde National Park. The trail is open for use year round. 

The 6-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, open 8 am to sunset, stops at 12 sites including surface ruins and cliff dwelling overlooks. The most famous feature of the park, Cliff Palace, is visible from the Sun Point and Sun Temple overlooks. Sunrise photography isn't possible on the loop due to operating hours, but stunning sunsets can be captured from the cliff trails before the road closes.

Tickets for this tour are $4 per person and are available at the visitor center near the entrance of the park. This tour is best taken from April to November. This hike features The milky way is often visible from the top of Mesa Verde at night.  This one-hour, ranger-guided tour involves climbing five, 8-10ft ladders, on a 100ft vertical climb. Total walking distance is 1/4-mile round-trip.