The park is home to the famous Cliff Palace, a large and well-preserved ancient Pueblo village, as well as other ancient Puebloan dwellings which you can see on the Mesa Top Loop road. Its well-preserved and abundant archeological sites have earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

In addition, the park is home to a wide variety of wildlife and plant species, making it a great place for nature lovers to explore. With its unique history and stunning landscape, Mesa Verde is a must-see attraction in Colorado. Here is an ultimate guide to hiking in Mesa Verde National Park.

Also Read: 17 Fun Things to do in Mesa Verde National Park

Best Hikes in Mesa Verde National Park

Hiking in Mesa Verde is one of the best ways to explore this incredible national park in Southwest Colorado. On the trails, you can enjoy unique geological formations, variety of archeological sites, and breathtaking vistas over the landscape.

The park has almost 30 miles of hiking trails open to visitors. Be sure to get a trail map at the Mesa Verde Visitor Center while you enter the park. Here are the best hiking trails in Mesa Verde National Park to go on your next trip.

Petroglyph Point Trail

Length – 2.4 miles, Difficulty – Strenuous

The Petroglyph Point trail is an adventurous hike that takes you through a rugged canyon to see ancient Pueblo petroglyphs as well as stunning views of the surrounding landscape. The trail also has exceptional birds eye views of Spruce and Navajo canyons in Mesa Verde park. This is the most popular trail within the park and hence, quite crowded.

Personally, it is our favorite Mesa Verde hiking trail! It is also one of the best trails in Colorado. The trail begins near the Spruce Tree House Overlook and climbs up over the canyon. This scrambling and climbing over rocks part of the hike can feel pretty hard if you are not in good physical condition.

At 1.4 miles in, you will see ancient petroglyphs etched into the sandstone cliffs by the Ancestral Puebloan people. This petroglyph panel has motifs of hands, animal figures, spirals, and stick humans. Kids love seeing the petroglyphs on the canyon wall.

Past the panel, the trail is fairly level. From then, it is mostly an easy trip back to the Chapin Mesa Museum. This trail has lots of sun exposure, so its best to do it early in the morning or late afternoon.

Soda Canyon Overlook Trail

Length – 1.2 miles, Difficulty – Easy

Soda Canyon Overlook Trail is one of the most hiked trails in Mesa Verde because of its amazing views of Balcony House. Balcony House is an ancient cliff dwelling site set high above the canyon and accessible only via a ranger-led tour.

For those not taking the tour, only way to see this remarkable site is via the overlook points on the trail. Soda Canyon trailhead is located on Cliff Palace Loop Road in the Chapin Mesa area of the national park. To reach it, drive along the one way road about a mile past Balcony House Parking Area.

Spruce Tree House Overlook

The Spruce Tree House is Mesa Verde’s third largest cliff dwelling. It is a complex of almost 130 rooms and supported about 80 people. Previously, it could be reached via the half mile long Spruce Tree House Trail. Spruce Tree House is named for the Douglas-fir trees aka spruce trees surrounding this cliff dwelling.

However, the trail was closed due to rock stability issues in 2015 and since then, the overlook is your best bet to see this ancient ruin. The short walk to the overlook starts from behind the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum.

It is vey easy to follow even for families with kids. At the end, you will reach a viewpoint that overlooks the Spruce Tree House. From here, you can appreciate this remarkable site without trespassing into restricted areas.

Spruce Canyon Trail

Length – 2.4 miles, Difficulty – Strenuous

Spruce Canyon Trail is a moderately strenuous hike that is accessible to both novice and advanced hikers. The trail leads you through the Spruce Tree Canyon, where you’ll see native flora and fauna as well as stunning views of the surrounding landscape.

Keep your eyes peeled for the wildlife that abounds in the area, including deer, elk, and coyotes. Its no wonder that this trail is popular with nature lovers. The trailhead is located on at the Spruce Tree House Overlook behind the park museum.

Far View Sites Trail

Length – 0.75 miles, Difficulty – Easy to Moderate

The Far View Sites Trail is an easy to moderate hike that takes you to some of the most remote and ancient sites in Mesa Verde National Park. The trailhead is located in the Chapin Mesa area, just past the Far View Lodge.

The small paved trail takes you past several major sites – Far View House, Coyote Village, Far View Tower, Pipe Shrine House, Megalithic House, and Far View Reservoir. At these sites, you can explore the well-preserved ancient ruins of the Ancestral Puebloans on the mesa top, which date back to the 13th century.

The Far View Sites Trail is a great way to get a glimpse into the ancient culture of Mesa Verde and to enjoy a unique outdoor experience.

Farming Terrace Trail

Length – 0.5 miles, Difficulty – Easy

Farming Terrace Trail is one of the most underrated trails in Mesa Verde National Park. It is an easy hike that takes you to farming terraces constructed by the Puebloans. On the trail, you can see remnants of ancient dams and it is a great way to learn about the agricultural history of the area.

You can also see areas that were destroyed by the fire in the park several years ago. The trailhead is on the spur road to Cedar Tree Tower. This is definitely a must-do trail for nature lovers and history buffs alike.

Knife Edge Trail

Length – 2 miles, Difficulty – Easy

Want to enjoy incredible sunset views over the Montezuma Valley? Hike the very popular Knife Edge Trail! This hiking trail is located near Morefield Campground and is perfect for those staying here.

The trailhead is located right within the campground. This easy trail is mostly level and follows the now abandoned historic Knife Edge Road within the park. In the 1910s, this was the primary park road and led visitors to the cliff dwellings.

The trail rewards you with panoramic views of the park and the surrounding canyons and is just spectacular at sunset! The trail takes about one hour to complete.

Point Lookout Trail

Length – 2.2 miles, Difficulty – Moderate

Point Lookout is a 8400+ feet tall summit located within the national park. This sandstone peak towers high above the surrounding valley and has incredible views. Mesa Verde National Park Point Lookout Trail is a strenuous trail that climbs to the top of this summit. It is slightly challenging and has an elevation gain of 520 feet.

The trailhead is located near the campground and is one of the earliest trails you will encounter just past the entrance station. A large parking lot is located near the trailhead on Hopi road.

The trail starts flat and easy but then climbs up a mesa, which is where all the hard work comes in. The trail has multiple steep switchbacks that quickly put you in same elevation as the summit. At the end is a fairly level walk taking you to Point Lookout, from where you can enjoy stunning views.

Park Point Overlook

Located in Mesa Verde, Park Point Overlook is one of the most spectacular overlooks in the park. It is also the highest point in the park! The point offers incredible vistas over the Montezuma Valley and La Plata Mountains. The Park Point Overlook Trail is a short and easy trail that takes you from the parking lot to two observation decks.

Prater Ridge Trail

Length – 7.8 miles, Difficulty – Strenuous

Prater Ridge trail is for experienced hikers who are up for a challenge. This trail is also located in the Morefield Campground area of the park. It is a strenuous trail with an elevation gain of over 670 feet. The trail starts at the campground and winds through the mesa.

Along the trail, you will encounter a variety of wildlife, including deer, elk, and coyotes. You can choose between the North Loop, which features beautiful views of the Prater Canyon and the South Loop, which has overlooks over Montezuma Valley.

North Loop is a little over 5.5 miles while South Loop is much shorter hike at 2.4 miles. If you do both the loops, the 7.8 mile trail takes about 3 to 3.5 hours at a moderate pace. In late spring, the trail can be wet and muddy while in summer, you will find gorgeous wildflowers along the trail.

Long House Loop

Length – 5 miles, Difficulty – Moderate

Want to explore the hidden side of Mesa Verde? Take the time to visit the Wetherill Mesa region of the park. This area is relatively remote, has very few amenities, and is off the radar for most part. It is also home to Long House – the second largest cliff dwelling in the park.

While the archeological site can be seen up close on ranger led tours, it can be also seen from an overlook on the Long House Loop. The Long House Loop paved trail begins at the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk. It takes visitors to several sites including Long House overlook as well as Kodak House overlook. While the trail is long, it can be also done by mountain biking.

Badger House Community Trail

Length – 2.2 miles, Difficulty – Moderate

Badger House Community Trail is a gravel trail located in the Wetherill Mesa area of Mesa Verde National Park. The trail starts at the Wetherill Mesa information kiosk and leads to several archaeological sites. Here you will find 4 excavated mesa top villages and plenty of interesting archeological sites to keep you busy. The full loop is 2.2 miles long and takes about 2 hour including time to see the sites.

Step House Trail

Length – 1 mile, Difficulty – Moderate

Step House Trail is a lesser known trail located in the Wetherill Mesa region. This one-mile loop takes you to the beautiful Step House, which was built between 600 and 1300 A.D. It is one of the rare, free self-guided tours in the park that takes you to cliff dwellings. The trail is steep, downhill along a paved path and takes about an hour to complete, along with time spent to see the ruin.

Nordenskiold #16 Trail

Length – 2 miles, Difficulty – Easy

The Nordenskiold #16 Trail is perfect for those who are short on time and want to get a taste of what Mesa Verde has to offer. This trail can be found in the Wetherill Mesa area and takes about 1 hour minutes to complete. From the trail overlook, you can see the cliff dwellings and other archeological sites that were first documented by Gustaf Nordenskiöld, a Swedish geologist. It is incredible to see how well the cliff dwellings blend in the surrounding landscape!

Mesa Verde Hiking Tips

To make the best of hiking in Mesa Verde National Park, here are a few tips that will help you on the way.

Stay on trails

Mesa Verde protects ancient archeological sites and as such staying on the trails preserves these fragile structures from human impact. The region is also home to several Native tribes, so it’s important to respect their culture and stay on the designated trails.

Acclimatize to the high elevations

Mesa Verde is located at an elevation of 8,500 feet. If you’re coming from a lower elevation, make sure to acclimatize to the higher altitude before attempting strenuous hikes. Altitude sickness can be a serious issue at this elevation, so make sure to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks.

Bring the right gear

Always hike with the proper clothing for the season and terrain. Even during summer months, temperatures can drop drastically in the evening so bring layers and a raincoat. Also bring along sunscreen and insect repellant.

Pack plenty water and snacks

The temperatures in Mesa Verde can become quite high during the summer months, so bringing enough water and snacks is essential for a successful hike.

Be bear aware

Mesa Verde National Park is home to a small population of both black bears and grizzlies, so make sure to be aware of your surroundings and hike in groups whenever possible. Carry pocket knife and other protective gear on Mesa Verde hiking trails. Be sure to store all food properly in Bear Canisters or use an approved Bear-proof container, such as a bear locker.

Respect the land

Mesa Verde is home to an incredible array of wildlife and plants, so make sure to respect and protect the land while you’re there. Pack out all your garbage and never leave anything behind in nature. By following these guidelines, we can all help preserve the park for future generations.

What are your favorite Mesa Verde hikes to see the incredible cliff dwellings? Let me know below.

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