This information is to assist you and your school group in planning your upcoming visit to the park. We recommend that teachers visit the park in advance of their class visit, if possible, in order to plan group activities. Visits to cliff dwellings are strenuous. Elevation in the park ranges from 6000 to just over 8500 feet.
Trails are frequently steep, narrow, uneven and often require climbing steps and ladders.
Hiking or touring cliff dwellings is not recommended for persons with heart, joint or respiratory ailments. Most of the cliff dwellings can be viewed from mesa top overlooks. Mesa Verde National Park is located in the high plateau country of southwestern Colorado. The park entrance is 9 miles east of Cortez off US 160. Roads within the park are scenic drives with sharp curves, steep grades, and reduced speeds.