Press Release from the Mesa Verde Country® Press Room



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Media Information and Resources
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Lynn Dyer
Mesa Verde Country® Visitor Information Bureau
(800) 530-2998
lynnd@mesaverdecountry.com

Gaylene Ore
Ore Communications
(970) 887-2536
gaylene@orecommunications.com
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www.mesaverdecountry.com


TOWNS OF COLORADO'S MESA VERDE COUNTRY®
FUSE CULTURE, HISTORY, RECREATION

CORTEZ, CO   Cortez, Dolores, Mancos, Towaoc. If you think the words sound like a southwestern fusion of interests, you're right. Think art, culture, history and intrigue.

The towns of southwestern Colorado's Mesa Verde Country® form a backbone through the largest concentration of archaeological sites anywhere in the United States. Set among spectacular mesa-top villages and multi-story 800-year-old cliff dwellings, the area was once the heart of the Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) civilization. Today, visitors may explore archaeological sites, relive the old west and explore the great outdoors.

Cortez

Nestled between the La Plata Mountains, Sleeping Ute Mountain, and Mesa Verde National Park, this ranching and farming center (you may catch a cattle drive in the spring or fall) has held its place as a merging point and trade center for many cultures for more than 2,000 years, and serves as a major center for Native American art, pottery and textiles. The town of nearly 8,500 offers the greatest number and variety of services for visitors.

Dolores

The Dolores River is the heart and soul of this small community, under 1,000 residents, providing a vital water supply and many recreational opportunities.

Mancos

The Mancos Valley, located between the La Plata Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park, continues its long tradition as a ranching community. With fewer than 1,200 residents in town, Mancos retains its Wild West character, with horseback rides, cattle drives running through the middle of town, and local retail collections of authentic western clothing, cowboy hats and Native American jewelry.
  • Historic Downtown Gallery District
  • Louis L'Amour Country — where the author penned many of his novels
  • Mancos State Park and Jackson Gulch Reservoir
  • Chicken Creek Cross-Country Ski Area

Towaoc

With a population of approximately 1,100, Towaoc is the reservation home of the Ute Mountain Utes, one of the seven original Ute bands that inhabited the entire state of Colorado. The Ute Mountain Utes enjoy a modern lifestyle while retaining many of their traditional customs. They are established artisans known for superlative beadwork and unique pottery. Visitors will find their work in trading posts throughout the area.

Mesa Verde Country® (www.mesaverdecountry.com)
Mesa Verde Country® is the southwest Colorado travel destination surrounding Mesa Verde National Park. The towns of Cortez, Dolores, Mancos, and Towaoc, and the entire Mesa Verde Country® area, comprise the archaeological center of America.
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