Mesa Verde National Park, 2021 Epic Road Trip v3
Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado) was day 5 of our Epic Road Trip. Even though this was only a day stop for us, we were able to see a lot and also relax a bit. This was a location with a campsite within the park (very conveniently located) but it was a primitive spot (no electric, water, or sewer). Our generator was quite handy for being able to turn on the AC, and use the microwave to cook (but not at the same time!). We also are pros at taking showers in our camper and using only a tiny bit of water.
We were able to spend a full afternoon at the park following an audio tour the park provided. We learned a lot of information about the history of the people who lived in this area. This area was inhabited for 700 years by the Ancestral Pueblo people who left many artifacts and dwellings.
Early on the people lived in pit houses. The remains of their houses were found.
Next they lived in structures built primarily above ground.
Near the later years of living here the tribes built cliff dwellings. We were not able to join any of the tours of the cliff dwellings, but just looking at the buildings was quite amazing.
The largest building found in this area has around 150 rooms! There were also buildings that are for celebrations and religious ceremonies.
In the evening we went to a rangers program at the campground. The program was well attended even though it was sprinkling a bit. There weren’t any of these programs in 2020 due to COVID. It was fun to be able to do this again!
