spruce tree house

603triciam

This was the only part of the park open to be explored during our visit, but it was still awesome. Few people were here when we arrived, and there was a ranger hanging around. We asked her a lot of questions and she was extremely knowledgeable and engaging on every subject, telling us all about farming and daily life in the area. She was also able to suggest other attractions in the wider area that we might want to see since part of the park was still closed due to snow. I liked that we could climb down into one of the small rooms at this ruin, and that we could at least step up into part of it and get a closer look back into the rooms. Very cool!

Michaelh8605

We visited Mesa Verde National Park as part of a larger trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Grand Canyon. Though the other two were beautiful, Mesa Verde was our favorite. The main reason was the tour of Spruce Tree House. Our guide was fantastic. The views were terrific. The history is amazing. Being history teachers, we absolutely loved it!

505QueenBee

We visited in Jan, the Spruce Tree house has a guided tour three times a day in the winter. The other major sites are closed, however you can see a few on the 6 mile drive loop. We will definitely return in the Spring to enjoy the entire park!

JonBunston

Well worth the 25 mile drive from Park entrance to Spruce Tree House. Some great vistas along the way.Nice little hike down into the canyon which is steep but paved. I would say wheel chair access is limited at this point.Take water and rest rooms are back at the car parkRuins well presented and in great condition with very helpful information provided by Rangers.Go down into one of the basement dwellings to get a good understanding of the Puebloean culture.

RichJ_12

We visited Mesa Verde National Park in early October and were blown away by this ancient area. To get to it there is a bit of a hike on a switch-back paved downhill path. But there were a few people who needed rest stops on the way back up so keep that in mind. There are park rangers at the site who are more than willing to answer questions about this attraction. This is a busy area of the park because there is a gift shop here along with a museum. This is a must see part of Mesa Verde.

CrankyOldGuy

The Park brochure seems to imply that this site is accessible to those with mobility issues - if they have help. Well, unless that help is going to carry you on their shoulders it is not going to happen.I started down in my mobility scooter when after seeing seniors sitting struggling to breath, and one nursing his heart condition, did I decide I did not need to go further. My wife who is a senior, but has no mobility issues, decided to go on down.She returned some time later quite exhausted and out of breath even after resting along the way. She reported to me that even had I made it down, once at the bottom there were STAIRS that no one mentions.So perhaps I should not expect accessiblity here. But I would expect an honest statement by the Park Service about what the route down and back entails.So I enjoyed what I could see from above, while counting my blessings that I had the sense to turn around early.The site is something to see. But beware of the statements about accessibility on all of these sites. The Park Service here seems to have forgotten about seniors with accessibility issues even in the museum and other buildings.

JoecatDenver

A beautiful place. Great museum at Spruce Tree, but some of the museum rooms do not have ramp(s) for a wheelchair. Pretty strenuous hike back UP from the Spruce Tree ruin, bring water and rest often. Excellent gift shop and very informative and helpful staff, from the rangers to the shop staff to the volunteers, everyone very welcoming. We visited on way back to CO from San Diego, could easily have spent several days here.

Mon55

If you cannot do other ranger tours, then make the effort to walk down this well paved path to the pueblo ruins below. They are great and well worth it. You can climb down the ladder into the kiva if you want. The ranger on duty will answer all questions and is happy to tell you a bit of the history. The climb up just needs a little time for the less fit or those not used to the altitude. Remember to take water.

HowardGeorgia

This is by far the least strenuous of the 3 major tours at Mesa Verde. It is a paved steep trail down and up, but manageable with rest stops and water. It is the best preserved of the all the sites. There is no tour guide until you reach the ruins where there are NPS rangers to answer your questions. You can get up close and photograph these gorgeous ruins.

angter

We had a guide as the benefit of a tour of National Parks - and just one day at Mesa Verde. All the points of interest are well documented on the park plan and described at each "venue". We spent the morning looking at pit houses and several view points. A quick lunch of "take away" style food in the "Spruce Tree Terrace" cafe gave us time to explore Spruce Tree House and the Kiva. One does not need to book for this - so driving yourself you can just fit it in when you get there. The museum should be visited: the display of how the house would be used and the way of life over the centuries brings the reality home. It was a brilliant day even though we did not see many of the houses. we would love to get back again in the future. Definitely a National Park not to miss.

itraveleverywhere

Excellent examples of ancient pueblo architecture. If you are able, tike time to climb into the kiva, it is an interesting experience. Hike to Petroglyph Point from here- remember to take water on the hike

O3324FWlindas

You need to walk downhill and back uphill to get a closer look, but the hike is well worth it. The onsite rangers added interesting perspective.

Debkatie

Easy access, rangers on duty with info. Bigger than balcony house. Can climb down into a kiva and get an idea of what it would have been like to shelter in one with 20 others for the winter! Cramped!!

Roothy123

There is a pretty tough walk down to it - make sure you can handle going both down and up! If you can't do it, make sure you go to the right of where the trail starts to look at it from the viewpoint. Also, if you go a little way down, you'll see a large, flat rock area that provides a good view.

MonaBologna

This is an unguided tour, so it gives you the ability to experience it at your own pace. There are rangers nearby to answer any questions. Beautiful path leading to and from and gives you just the right workout. Check out the museum too!