ute mountain tribal park

I booked the full day tour for myyself and my 12 year old daughter and it was one of the highlights of our road trip through south west colorado. We stopped in cortez for 3 nights and also took the official nps tours in mesa verde on another day.The Ute Tribal Park tour was much the better experience. Our guide Rick spoke with obvious knowledge and love for his subject throughout the day and we were able to enter a number of cliff dwellings in Lion Canyon which were every bit as spectacular as those in mesa verde. There were only 4 people on our tour and we had the whole canyon to ourselves which added to our sense of wonder. Many of Rick's stories had a spiritual dimension to them which seemed fitting when delivered in such an isolated setting but he also made us laugh throughout the day with his infectious personality.As we left the park a coyote crossed our path. Rick informed us that this was bad luck in Ute tradition but it seemed a fitting end to our visit to such a stunning place.

If you are in the Durango/Cortez area, you have to make the trip down to the tribal park. We made arrangements through our B&B for the half day tour. They will only take 15 people at a time but on the day that we went, we were the only ones! Our guide Ricky, while being a little more enthusiastic about the spiritual details of the Indians than we would have preferred, did a great job and was able to explain all of the dwellings and history quite well. There are many Pueblo Indian dwellings that are very well preserved and you can go right up to them - amazing!Please be forewarned that this tour is not for someone who is uncomfortable with heights and hiking on ledges. It's not difficult but the ladders that have to be negotiated as well as the steep drop-offs along the canyon trail might make some uncomfortable.

After several visits to Mesa Verde we decided to try the Ute Tribal Park guided tours. We chose the full, 8 hour tour. It was a great experience. Beverly was our guide and did a great job. We were the only people who chose the tribal van to travel the tour route so we got to talk with her on a very personal level. She gave us a great deal of historical and cultural information but also shared some of her life experiences which were interesting. WE saw ancient pictographs, not so ancient drawings, several kivas, and some of the best cliff dwellings anywhere. It was a bargain at $60 per person for the entire day including the transportation.

This was the highlight of our Mesa Verde trip, and we did everything there is to do in terms of cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. Definitely do the full-day tour, the cliff dwellings on the Ute Reservation are just as exciting and you're in a small, private group. Our guide wasn't that great, but I think that most are. All in all, I could not recommend this highly enough.The fact that this is a bit off the beaten path just made it that much more exciting.

Very informative tour from a Native's perspective, with lots of historical insight. The dwellings were amazing, authentic and real, not polished or prettied up for the tourists. Scotty was a great guide. I would like to return someday.

My wife and I have been to dozens of Anasazi sites in the southwest over the last 18 years, and had one of the greatest experiences we've experienced, with Scotty, our Ute guide. He is patient, knowledgeable, helpful and humble. I found him to be incredibly well-versed in the history and culture of the past residents, and we were AMAZED by story after story after story which he was able to share. He continually backed up his comments by referencing chapters or articles in books (which he gave us to peruse during the "lunch" and "driving" portions of the tours), and is truly a student of the Anasazi culture. Wow, I was totally blown away by him as a guide, additionally because he was reverent, respectful and constantly emphasized the sacred nature of where we were.Moreover, the site itself is fantastic. We went to four large ruins, just yards down a lateral trail from one another, and were by ourselves at each one. Scotty let us stay as long as we liked, and we were able to ask questions, handle innumerable pot shards and corn cobs, gently touch anything (except Kiva-related items), and actively be a part of our experience - not just standing to the side looking with our hands behind our backs.I found the experience to be incredible, and the Ute representatives to be well versed, diligent protectors of the ruins. My daughter, wife, myself and Scotty were the ONLY 4 people in the canyon all day - we never saw another person in over 6 hours in the park! It is not a cheap - but when you are ready for a truly magical, well done experience, go for it! You will be amazed!The almost 100% 5 out of 5 rating for this attraction is no joke, and well earned.

We took the whole day tour of the Ute Mountain Tribal Park on the 4th October 2013 and with Scotty as our guide, we had a most amazing and astounding day. Scotty's knowledge of his people's history is incredible and he was so generous in sharing it with us, he was also very welcoming, friendly and helpful. The cliff dwellings are in the Tribal Park are stunning and walking along ancient Indian trails was very special. In Mesa Verde you have a government appointed park ranger as a guide, in the Ute Mountain Tribal Park you have extremely knowledgeable Ute Indian guides and Scotty's knowledge and friendly nature combined with the ancient cliff dwellings and scenery made this an unforgettable day.

This was a long planned bucket-list trip to the national parks that was interrupted by the government shutdown. Thank you Congress! Thank goodness for the NV, UT, CO, AZ state parks and Native American tourist sites. So if you cannot get into Mesa Verde, what to do? The Ute Mountain Tribal lands offer a unique alternative. You must reserve space on the tour as only a tribal member can escort you through the mountain pass. If you want a lesson in tribal lore and American Indian history, this is a good place to stop. The tour begins at the visitor’s center – not the best maintained facility. The trek into the mountain is via a very dusty gravel and dirt road – you will get dirty. The ancient Petra glyphs are interesting and the desert mountains are scenic. Best of all is the trip up into the mountain where you can climb down into a canyon via several steep ladders and skirt along a cliff hung path to an ancient pueblo settlements (lodges). The cost is around $50/person and requires a full day commitment if you want to see the upper canyon.

Mesa Verde was closed due to the government shutdown so we had heard about this place and gave it a whirl. Do the full day guided trip as it is the only version that goes to the Cliff Dwellings. We walked, hiked, and climbed down into and around the dwellings with a very informative guide. Typically the tour would have 4-5 people on it - but with the NPs closed we had 20 people on our tour. Despite the large group size we felt it was a great experience. We'd highly recommend it. Due to the size of the group we drove in our own car which made it a bit more comfortable and also less expensive. We brought our cooler and had lunch up on the Canyon Rim. We then exited through the East Gate which cut over an hour off of our drive to Pagosa Springs after the tour.

I have to admit this was my favorite part of our three week trip out west. Rick was our guide & he was amazing. We toured five cliff dwellings and got to look at several pictographs (including one with the creation story). It was fun hiking the trails to the cliff dwellings and we learned so much from Rick about the people who lived there. Because my kids are older (12 & 14) it's very hard to find activities that are exciting & challenging, yet safe enough for me to agree with. The best part, the kids were learning while having fun. This is a hands on activity with lots of opportunities to experience structures and artifacts from hundreds to a thousand years old. There are several wooden ladders to climb & can be a little frightening. The one to Eagles Nest was a little scary. It's an optional climb if you are afraid of heights. Because of the long drive to and from the canyon we chose to drive our own vehicle - that way the kids could keep themselves occupied. But, the drive is on a very rough road so keep that in mind if driving in a car.

After reading many reviews while planning our west vacation, we decided to book the Ute Mountain Tribal Park full day tour. It was the best decision ever! Our tour guide Rick Hays was amazing, kind, knowledgeable and inspiring. The first half of the day centered around pictographs with my wife, 9yr old, 17yr old, and two other visitors. The second half of the day was just the four of us and our guide Rick. We ate lunch on top of the mesa and then climbed down into Lion's Canyon to explore the dwellings! Rick was very patient with my 9 yr old, as he is a slow hiker. The sites were unforgettable and it was also a very spiritual outing! Even our two boys said it was the best tour in our vacation! Thank you Rick!

The full day trip exceeded expectations. Rick Hays was our guide and did an outstanding job. He is very knowledgeable and shared an incredible amount of information about the history, culture, and beliefs of the Utes, Ancient Puebloans, Hopis, and other tribes. It was a day rich in learning and discovery.We saw a panel of petroglyphs which Rick interpreted. We climbed down into a series of abandoned cliff dwellings where there were still bits of pottery, tools, gnawed tiny corn cob husks, and even turkey bones. It felt as if the inhabitants had just left a few months ago!The day was hot, so bring plenty of water and a sunhat in addition to your lunch. Be prepared to climb up and down several ladders, but all the ladders are sturdy, wide, and firmly fixed. We walked about 1.5 miles (not the 3 miles mentioned in the Lonely Planet guide.) The cliff dwellings are all in the same canyon and are connected to each other by a lateral trail created by the Indians. Hiking their trail was part of the adventure. Since the cliff dwellings are in shady alcoves, we weren't in the sun all the time.Highly recommended!

Rick was our guide for the day.he drove a van full of people and we drove our vehicle- rough terrain but we wanted our own stuff so we could layer up and off and eat our lunch etc. we climbed down into several amazing cliff dwellings( eagles best) and had to climb several ladders up and down. Don't go if you are afraid of heights!! But what an amazing chance to walk amidst these ruins- actually inside them. Rick had so much Info to share- we learned a lot. He also took us to see pictographs and petroglyphs. The creation story was on some of the rocks. We saw tons of pottery shards!! Saw wild miles and many wild horses- beautiful! Though we had some drizzle and cool temps, it was a highlight for me. Rick was very spiritual.

Spend a day with guide Rickie Hays in the park and you will not be disappointed. It's a full day for $48.00 per person plus if you ride in their van. I recommend you use their van, it's a total of about 80 miles on rough roads. More important you will be with Rickie. His stories and info are invaluable. Bring your own lunch and water. The trip starts in the canyon with rock art, minor ruin sites. You then go up to the ridge. From the ridge you climb down 5 ladders each from 6-12 feet to a trail midway on the canyon face. This trail is maybe half mile and takes you to four amazing cliff dwelling. To get to the last you climb up a 39 step ladder to a narrow ledge that leads to the ruin, Eagles Nest! You won't forget it. The ladder can be intimidating but worth it. Unlike the National Park sites you can go into these ruins, touch and feel...not to be missed if you are need Cortez, Colo.

Let the guide drive you up the canyon, then listen to his excellent explanations of Indian beliefs and views. The tour includes hiking and hands-on experience with the cliff dwellings. So much better than just looking from behind a fence. We held pottery shards, stood in the dwellings and imagined life hundreds of years ago. Our guide, Rick, was awesome and very passionate about everything. Great experience!