Self-Guided Tours - Auto

You are welcome to spend as much or as little time as you would like on the Mesa Top Loop Road. We suggest having at least 45-minutes to an hour to complete the loop and stop to explore many of the stops and overlooks. If you are short on time, or wish to only have views of cliff dwellings, we recommend Square Tower House, Sun Point View, and Sun Temple.

Four images that include housing styles from stone-masonry villages to wood and mud roofed shelters

The Mesa Top Loop Road begins at the four-way intersection near milepost 20 of the main park road. Signage is available.

The 6-mile (10 km) Mesa Top Loop takes you through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. From remains of early pithouses and masonry villages to multi-storied cliff dwellings, archeological sites along this loop show how early Pueblo architecture evolved. Archeology and Pueblo oral histories shed light on what life may have been like for people who lived, worked, and raised families here for generations. Along the road, you’ll find short, easily-accessible paved trails to view twelve archeological sites. Short trails along the Mesa Top Loop lead to surface sites such as pithouses and pueblos; overlooks of cliff dwellings tucked into alcoves; and viewpoints where you can enjoy the beauty of the landscape that was home to generations of Ancestral Pueblo people. Highlights include Square Tower House Overlook, and views of Cliff Palace from Sun Point View and Sun Temple. The Mesa Top Loop Road is open daily, 8:00 am to sunset. <hr /> <figure> </figure> For an even more indepth look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people, we highly suggest you <a href="https://www.nps.gov/podcasts/podcasts-mtl-audiotour.htm">download the audio tour</a>, A Pueblo Perpective on Mesa Verde, and listen along in your car as you drive the Mesa Top Loop, or on your phone as you explore the ten stops along the way.

Leashed pets are allowed on paved trails along the Mesa Top Loop. Please clean up after your pet as necessary.

The Mesa Top Loop is open year-round. The road may temporarily close during winter snowstorms until the road and trails can be cleared.

The 6-mile (10 km) Mesa Top Loop takes you through 700 years of Ancestral Pueblo history. From remains of early pithouses and masonry villages to multi-storied cliff dwellings, the archeological sites along this loop show how early Pueblo architecture evolved. Archeology and Pueblo oral histories shed light on what life may have been like for people who lived, worked, and raised families here for generations.

The Mesa Top Loop is open daily, 8:00 am to sunset.

Explore the Mesa Top Loop Road

Archeology

Cliff Dwellings

Architecture and Building

Canyons and Canyonlands

Plateaus and Mesas

Native American Heritage

Scenic Views

Trails

Self-Guided Tours - Walking

If you would like information about some of the buildings within the historic district, ask for the historic district handout at the Museum. You can also visit the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/historic-administrative-district.htm">online historic district story map</a>.

Rock and timber building surrounded by yucca, brush, and trees.

Mesa Verde's Historic District

The buildings within the historic district surround the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum.

Mesa Verde was the first park to experiment with architectural designs based in strong indigenous cultural traditions. The Pueblo Revival style buildings found in the area of the museum, blend into their environment and reflect the vision of Park Superintendent Jesse Nusbaum and Aileen Nusbaum, his wife. These early historical structures; the superintendent’s residence, park headquarters, the post office, ranger club, museum and community building are all results of that vision. Today, the Mesa Verde Administrative District, is a National Historic Landmark that you can explore. It was established in 1987 to recognize the unique place it holds in the development of architecture in this country. The Headquarters Loop includes a number of historic buildings located on top of Chapin Mesa in a fragrant pinyon and juniper forest. Various landscape architectural features contribute to the character, atmosphere, and ambiance of the area. The paved walkways and stone steps bordered by low stone curbs meander among the buildings and provide small, intimate vistas in keeping with the small scale of the structures. The planting islands of native vegetation around the buildings, also edged by stone curbs, screen the structures from the hot summer sun and make the buildings seem indigenous to their surroundings. You can also explore the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/historyculture/historic-administrative-district.htm">historic district story map online</a>.

Pets are allowed on paved walkways, road, and parking areas within the historic district. They are not allowed in buildings such as the Chapin Museum Archeological Museum. Service animals are welcome.

Take a walk amid the early park structures that comprise the Historic Administrative District of Mesa Verde National Park. Established in 1987 the historic district comprises structures with architectural designs based in strong indigenous cultural traditions and blend into their environment. The Pueblo Revival style buildings have a unique place in the development of architecture in this country.

Visit Mesa Verde's Historic Administrative District

For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde. Today, the park protects the rich cultural heritage of 26 Pueblos and Tribes and offers visitors a spectacular window into the past. This World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park is home to over a thousand species, including several that live nowhere else on earth.