Mesa Verde National Park and Canyons of the Ancients

Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde NP, known as a world-famous masterpiece of architecture and design, and the largest cliff dwelling in North America, is expected to reopen July 1^st of this year after the road loop accessing it closed last summer for road repairs – and then remained closed when new archeological sites were discovered.  Built between 1190 and 1280 CE, Cliff Palace was once home to over 100 people. 

Tour tickets can be purchased only on recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777. Tickets are available 14 days in advance, 8:00 am MST, on a rolling daily window. For example, tickets for May 2nd will be available starting April 18th at 8:00 am MDT. Demand for tour tickets is high. We recommend reserving tickets as soon as they become available.

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is hosting a special exhibit at its visitor center between Cortez and Dolores.  The visitor center and museum always has great exhibits focusing on archeological sites in the 4 Corners region, local Native Americans, and the history of the area.  This special exhibit, however, highlights 15 years of documentation research on these sites and how science and art together can give us a greater understanding of the Ancestral Puebloans’ culture and relationship to the landscape.

The town of Dolores, about 15 miles from Starry Nights Ranch B&B, will be holding its Dolores River Festival this year on Saturday, June 4^th, at Joe Rowell Park.  You can find more detailed information at doloresriverfest.org.