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National Park and Monuments, Native American Culture Top '15 Things to Do' in Mesa Verde Country®

In Mesa Verde Country®, the broad area surrounding Mesa Verde National Park, visitors will find two national scenic byways, one national forest, two national monuments, one tribal park and the largest archaeological reserve in the United States. The Mesa Verde Country® Visitor Information Bureau has compiled a list of the top 15 things to do in the area to assist vacationers planning a visit.

1. Mesa Verde National Park - Selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of "50 Places to Visit in a Lifetime," the park is one of America's greatest archaeological treasures. The park also includes the award-winning Metate Room, one of Colorado's top 10 restaurants, featuring gourmet sustainable cuisine.

2. Anasazi Heritage Center - The center houses Canyons of the Ancients National Monument's visitor center, a research center, and hands-on exhibits. Two archaeological sites are located on the Center's grounds.

3. Hovenweep National Monument - Protecting six prehistoric, Ancestral Puebloan (Anasazi) villages spread over a 20-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border, the monument is noted for its towers, its solitude and undeveloped, natural character.

4. Ute Tribal Park - The Ute Mountain Utes, one of the seven original Ute bands that inhabited Colorado, operate the park as a primitive area to protect its cultural and environmental resources. Ute guides interpret Ute Indian history, pictographs, geological land formations, and Ancestral Pueblo petroglyphs, artifacts, and dwellings.

5. Cortez Cultural Center - A regional center for living culture, the center hosts performances by Native American dancers and musicians, and includes a museum of Ancestral Puebloan and early pioneer history, as well as the Hawkins Preserve, a local archaeological site dedicated to the preservation of native plant and animal life.

6. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument - In a region known for its archaeological wonders, the Monument has more than 100 archaeological sites per square mile — the highest density in the nation.

7. National Scenic Byways

• San Juan Skyway — The "Most Beautiful Drive in America" winds through the historic, scenic towns of Telluride, Ouray, Silverton, and Durango, with access to some of the west's most famous attractions: Mesa Verde National Park, Ouray Hot Springs, the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum, and four wilderness areas.
  
  
• Trail of the Ancients — The byway is full of archaeology and culture in the heart of the high desert Colorado Plateau. Arid and mostly uninhabited, the terrain along the trail encompasses Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument, the Anasazi Heritage Center, Ute Tribal Park, Cortez Cultural Center and the Four Corners Monument.

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.