Twin Mounds

Stop at the visitor center first then take your time walking the trails and exploring the different rooms, especially the great house. This National Monument is a Unesco World Heritage site.

Starting at the trail head at 7,000 feet, you will head down the trail until you get to the cliff dwellings. There will be a wooden ladder you will have to climb, a recreation of the ladder used hundreds of years ago by the tribes living there. Once you get to the top of the ladder, the trail will continue under the cliff and through the once used living area. You will then hit the tunnel where...

Situated on the border of Arizona and New Mexico is an ancient throat of a volcano. You can see Shiprock for miles, as you approach the quiet New Mexico town. It's jagged edges and large spine, that extends to the South, cut straight out of vast flat landscape that surrounds it. You cannot miss it, you won't mistake it.  The closer you get to the 4 corners region, the more distinct it becomes. ...

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.

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.