Mesa Verde National Park

[JGB]

Looking for information on places to stay in the Mesa Verde area. I have read many of the reviews about campground in this area and no one place stand out as the best. Currently I am leaning toward Mancos State Park, but would appreciate recomendations. We plan one spending two nights with one day to visit the park.

[blickcd]

We were there several years ago and stayed at the KOA in Cortez. Basically a gravel lot with hookups but the staff was nice and I'd stay there again.

Since you will only be there two nights, if you can stand not having hookups you could stay right in the park. Their campground is nothing spectacular but the location is perfect.

Christopher

[pmclemore]

Amen to Christopher's recommendation. Stay in the park - it is a pretty big place and you'll be glad to spend more time sightseeing than driving back and forth. You won't need air conditioning

We also enjoyed a great meal at the Farview Lodge (in the park).

Welcome to the Forums, by the way.

Pat

[Wsmith]

I have always stayed around Durango, Vallecito Reservoir, or dry camping at Wolf Creek in San Juan National Forest out of Pagosa Springs and done a day trip to Mesa Verde. It not a very long drive. The scenery in more forest in Durango and Pagosa Springs and Mesa Verde is more of an arid area with cedar trees. mixed with some pine.. Also around Durango you can set up camp and go to Mesa Verde and even ride the train to Silverton.

[polarlyse]

Last summer we stayed in Mancos SP for a couple of days to visit Mesa Verde also. Found the park nice enough. Be prepared for no hookups. It's dry camping. They have nice restrooms and I was able to put water into my tank before we parked and set up from a faucet at the rest room. It was a bit costly though for a dry camp site. They charged me for the campsite and then they tack on the daily admission fee to the park on top of that. First time I ever ran into that scam. Nothing wrong with staying there, convienent to MVNP just be prepared. They were even trying to charge me the daily fee just to drive into the campground for a lookaround. I squawked about that and they let me take a drive through and pick out a site.

Mesa Verde is another story. Had a great time. It's one of those special places that should be on everyones bucket list. You'll enjoy it if you've never been there before. I had read that their campground is nothing but a parking lot. Didn't check it out but look into it if it's got some openings.
I don't recall many other options in the nearby area.

I was just thinking, just east of Mancos along the road to Durango there was another dry camping site. It's a National Forest. Up a small road nearby the highway 160. Can't recall why we chose to go to Mancos SP though.
We gave it a drive through but I think at the time we were still in the market for hookups. Ended up without them anyhow.

Good luck and have a great trip.

[RichHog]

We went for a base camp at Lake Haviland SP about 10 miles N of Durango. It's a beautiful small lake and easy drive to Silverton, Ouray, telluride and Mesa Verde for day trips. It was one of those Colorado Picture perfect places right on the lake.

[mojo]

I would suggest that you stay in the park simply for the convenience of having more time to take the tours and explore. There are other alternatives, but why waste time driving back and forth? I live in Durango and I have camped there!

[dmoore]

We explored that area last October. We had been dry camping in the Canyon de Chelly area (spectacular, I thought) and were ready for full hookups and laundry facilities. We stayed at Sleeping Ute RV Park in Tawaoc which is just south of Cortez. Located adjacent to the casino, we enjoyed full hook-ups with wifi and positively lovely green grassy sites (they irrigate). It's a short drive to Mesa Verde. If you have time, you may also want to consider a trip over to Hovenweep and hike around over there. Canyon of the Ancients is another nice day trip in the area. The San Juan Mountain Skyway is a beautiful drive. Lots to see and do in this interesting area.

Debbie

[JGB]

Thank you all for the information. We have opted to stay in the park in order to maximize our time visiting the attractions.

We leave this Saturday for a three week tour of the Colorado plateau, can't wait

[pmclemore]

Great choice. We look forward to your reports.

Pat

[Michigander]

Originally Posted by JGB

Thank you all for the information. We have opted to stay in the park in order to maximize our time visiting the attractions.

We leave this Saturday for a three week tour of the Colorado plateau, can't wait

JGB, good choice. Enjoy your trip and welcome to the forums.

[Minno]

If you have time, you could go to Durango and ride the Silverton. It's a narrow gauge steam train that sneaks through the mountains from Durango to Silverton and back. It's an all day trip, but well worth it! Asolutely BEAUTIFUL scenery! We're doing that again this year on our way to New Mexico for the Four Corners Restoration Rally in June. We're staying at the United Campground in Durango - the railroad passes through the campground every day on it's trip. You can put pennies on the tracks and then try to find the flattened ones after the train goes by.

Kay

[TG Twinkie]

Just returned from Mesa Verde today. We stayed at the Mesa Verde RV Resort, Mancos, CO. It is located 1/2 mile from the entrance to Mesa Verde. On a scale of 1 to 10; I would rate it at a 9. Planned to stay 1 night, wound up staying 3 nights.
There is also a very nice RV park just 2 miles north of Durango. It is the Alpen Rose RV park. It is 40 miles from Mesa Verde. I would rate this park at a 9 as well. We stayed 2 nights here.
Both places offer all amenities, they are very well maintained and the staff in both places are friendly and there to provide you with the best camping experience.
I would highly recommend making reservations at either or both of the places mentioned as I am sure that I'm not the only one that knows of these places.