Lodging in Mesa Verde National Park

Far View Lodge provides the only accommodations within Mesa Verde National Park. The mesa top motor lodge-style units are open from mid-April to mid-October and are located near the Far View Visitor Center. The 150 rooms feature private balconies with vistas of more than 100 miles.

Although I had visited the park several times in different seasons of the year it had always been as a day visitor. On my most recent sojourn I decided to stay overnight in the park while Bob was on a San Juan backpack trip. The experience was so positive we returned for additional nights after he came off the trail. Kiva rooms feature custom handcrafted furniture, pillow-top mattresses, and refrigerators. Rooms do not have televisions.

  As evening falls, the majority of visitors wind back down the mesa to nearby communities. Quiet settles over the park and wildlife make twilight appearances. Deer, rabbits and ground squirrels browse just below our balcony. One evening, a herd of wild horses stop to scavenge supper in the scrubs before galloping across the range.

Guests enjoy dinner in the lodge’s Metate Room. Menu selections reflect Southwestern cuisine influences. We were delightedly surprised with the quality of food and service – a full moon rising over the  scenic panorama capped the delectable experience.

The mesa top location makes early morning and sunset photos more convenient. During a quiet evening walk around Far View Ruins the Ancestral Puebloans seem not so far away.