Dolores to Mesa Verde National Park

That is where we are heading! Pointing to a steep climb up to Mesa Verde National Park!

 

Day 12 - Dolores, Mancos and Mesa Verde National Park.

 

A relatively easy day, covering about 60 kms along highway 184 all the way to Mancos, then highway 160 to Mesa Verde National Park.

We left Dolores early and decided to travel to Mesa Verde via Mancos.   After a 16 mile ride we arrived and found a great breakfast place ‘Absolute Bakery’... once again, it is all about the food on this trip! 



Entrance to Mesa Verde National Park.

After a short 5 mile ride from Mancos, we arrived at Mesa Verde National Park and as soon as we had passed through the entrance it was an extremely steep climb up to the campground.  With the climb over with, we set up our tents and cycled out of the campground leaving all our gear for the first time...it felt amazing!   

The first stop was the Visitor Centre, involving yet another steep climb and at this point we surrendered and caught a lift up with some friendly tourists!  We spent the next few hours cycling around some of the sites and visited the museum. 

 

Cliff Palace View lookout in Mesa Verde National Park, CO.

Mesa Verde National Park - "It offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings".  Source: National Park Service.

Incidentally, we got chatting to one of the rangers who remarked that tourists often ask if there are any more 'undiscovered' ruins?!

One of the many cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people in Mesa Verde National Park, CO.

It is easy to spend a few hours in the park and after touring around we were hit by the fact that the only way to the restaurant is a 5 mile climb up!  We hadn't accounted for the extra distance we cycled in the park, so we tried in vain to get another lift but it didn't work and we struggled up the hill and had a well deserved dinner!

By the time we left it was starting to get dark and due to the amount of wildlife, it is not safe to cycle back so we got a lift from the staff shuttle.

Beautiful lookout point in Mesa Verde National Park, CO.

Starting point: Dolores, CO
End point: Mesa Verde National Park, CO
Total distance:  72 kms
Campground: Morefield campground