Mesa Verde Nat'l Pk Need Recommendations

[Bluto]

I need your help on this one.
Never been to Durango,CO or Mesa Verde National Park and I feel that I'm missing something so I have the urge to go there.
I'm looking for some first hand experiences as the best places to stay for a couple of days to a week. National Parks, private parks, state campgrounds. When hooked together my trailer and TV measure 50'3" so that may be a consideration as well. Trailer alone is 28' long.
The main thing is that I want to enjoy the National park and the ruins for a few days and have a relaxing time back at the trailer in the evenings.
Also if you feel like sharing about any must see things/places and best place to get a good meal in the area will help too.
Thanks!

[SteveH]

The camp grounds in Mesa Verde Nat. Park are nice, and will accommodate your trailer, no problem. We were there with a 31', and no problem. However, do call and make a reservation and tell them the length of your trailer.

The Rangers will give you plenty of information on things to see and do in the park once you get there. You will enjoy it.

Durango of course the main attraction is the narrow gage train to Silverton. But I think it's a nicer and more scenic drive than train ride. And, if you drive to Silverton, you also need to continue on to Ouray, CO. Very nice little town, and very pretty drive.

[mojo]

The drive to most of the ruins at MV are 30+ miles, so staying at the parks Morefield CG makes it more convenient. There are two RV parks at the entrance if you want full hook-ups but with a longer drive.

In Durango, the closest CG to town is the United CG which is on the river and the train goes through the middle of it every morning and evening, 3 times a day in summer. Alpen Rose is a few miles north of there. Also KOA south of town.

In Durango there are many good restaurants, Ken & Sues, Steamworks, Old Tymers, Carvers are local hangouts. Tequilas Mexican, Gazpachos New Mexican. Diamond Belle saloon for a Victorian bar & grill....too many to list.

You can take the train to Silverton but taking the bus back is quicker as the round trip train is an all-day event. If you want to experience mountain camping, The Mineral Creek CG is close to Silverton and there are boondocking areas around it. In Silverton try Handlebars for buffalo burgers.

Ouray is a neat town and the 4x4 off-road capitol of CO. However towing your big rig up there is not for the faint of heart, especially for those without mountain towing experience.

[SteveH]

The sites we were in in the Mesa Verde campground had full hookups, (there were two trailers) but I don't remember the name of it. I think there were two campgrounds close together.

[mojo]

Right Steve, but as I remember, there are only 10-15 E/W sites available...and yes they did upgrade those with sewer hookups. Need to reserve well in advance.

[afneill]

In addition to Mesa Verde, there are numerous ruins in the area, if you are not overloaded when you are through there. Canyons of the Ancients is only about 10 miles north of Cortez, and it has an excellent visitor center. I have been to many of these ruins several times and they never cease to intrigue me.

[Len n Jeanne]

One of our ancestral Puebloan favourites is Hovenweep National Monument in nearby Utah, on the border with Colorado and Canyon of the Ancients. Its small campground has a few sites for longer trailers and doesn't seem to get too crowded.
Hovenweep National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

Mesa Verde is a big park with spectacular ruins, so you could easily spend a week there!

[ericpeltier]

I have to recommend the Fall for Mesa Verde. Cooler temps, and WAY less crowds. We got to do every tour we wanted to, which in the summer (I hear) is nearly impossible.
Eric

[halftimer]

We have stay at Sundowner rv park short drive to np restaurant next door you can walk to that is decent has long rv sites at back was in 40ft dp pulling jeep they do a lot of long term we stay a week very friendly clean park

[Ramble On]

We stayed at the Morefield campground last September. It was OK and is closer to the ruins than the others.(less driving)

[Jack46]

We stayed at the Alpen Rose CG in Durango which was very good. The trip over to Oray is worthwhile, but it is a very narrow, curvy road. We stayed in a Mesa Verde CG with no hookups. We were with 34' AS's and they had no difficulty negotiating the place. The showers, etc. at the camp store are very good as well. Mesa Verde is more than worth the trip. Enjoy.

[TG Twinkie]

I second the Alpen Rose in Durango. Nice place, nice people. It is a drive to Mesa Verde though. It is located 2 miles north of Durango on the left.
I think the train ride is worth every penny and time spent. Especially if you ride in the open cars. Dress accordingly. It can be chilly in the morning.
Mesa Verde RV resort is about a mile from the entrance to MVNP. Very clean and tidy. No grass, just gravel. We have and will stay there again.


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[mandolindave]

Take a drive in any direction. The drive from Durango to Silverton will be more enjoyable without a trailer.
I really like Monument Valley.

[tsunami]

Mesa Verde National Park is a great place to stay. It makes the visit easier by being closer, driving/time wise, to see the entire park. The drive alone to the peaks for either sunrise/sunset view is well worth the stay. Go as soon as possible to visit the ruins. A Ranger told us, this past October, that they are going to stop tours to at least one if not two of the ruins. Wonderful photo opportunities.

[tsunami]

Couple photos from Mesa Verde Nat. Park

[Ken J]

I live here - I know every raves about Alpen Rose - I think because the restrooms are highly rated - but I think United is way cooler because you are on the river and a train runs through it :-)


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[RAH]

We loved, loved, loved Mesa Verde last year. Read the Nevada Barr book before you go "Ill Wind" is set in MV. Go to a few of the Ranger led tours - we did Cliff Palace and Spruce Tree, and Balcony House. We stayed in Morefield. It was late August, and we were one of maybe 10 campers in the 250 sites with no hookups. The 15 sites with Electric were full. Also ranger talks each evening in the Campground amplitheatre. There were two hikes in the campground we did too. We hiked Point Lookout - Amazing. I can't remember the name of the other hike. We have factory solar, and ran the furnace at night. We were in MV for 4 nights, and had just come from 3 nights boondocking in the Taos mesa, so we gave our batteries a workout.
As for size of your rig (OP) we are also 50 feet. The ranger let us drive around and pick the site we wanted. Many sites were too small for our trailer, but there were plenty that were big enough. We went with no reservations - I don't like being tied to a schedule on vacation. Now what was our campsite? I want to say it was the Apache Loop. We had no problems in or out.

If you go to Durango, be careful. We were returning at night and a deer came in front of us. I had the Sierra from 60 to zero in a few seconds (and really glad I wasn't towing!). The deer turned back. Love Mesa Verde, will definitely go back.

[Bk Yd Safari]

We were in Durango a couple of years ago during the month of Spt. We really enjoyed Mesa Verde. The trip across Lizards Head Pass to Telluride was great as the Aspens were in full autumn color. As several others mentioned Alpen Rose is a very nice campground.

[tjdonahoe]

We came thru Wyoming to Uray, then moved to Silverton, rode the train round trip,then moved thru Durango to Mancos,a couple miles before we turned to the right to a marked campground located in a ranch , a couple miles off the highway before Mancos, then drove around to all of the ruins, a very nice area........

[halftimer]

Ps on the sundowner its Sundance rv park owner are bill and sandy Williams it is in CORTEZ maybe three mile from entrance to np a mr David Stowe put me on this park and we did enjoy our stay