Mesa Verde Camping: The Complete Guide to Camping at Mesa Verde National Park (2023 Update)

Post Summary: Mesa Verde Camping

Imagine building your house on a top of a cliff?  Now imagine building your house on a ledge on the side of that cliff?  Seems crazy. The Ancestral Puebloans did just that.  They built their home and villages on the sides of cliffs.  For about 700 years, these men and women built a range of cliff dwellings, pithouses, pueblos, masonry towers, and farming structures before abandoning the region.  Today, Mesa Verde National Park protects their archeological history.  Over 4,700 sites have been discovered in the park.  Mesa Verde National Park is a unique national park protecting both a gorgeous mesa and archeological record of the early human inhabitants.

Camping in Mesa Verde National Park is a perfect way to get a jump on your day and explore the park.

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Mesa Verde Campgrounds at a Glance

Amenities Key

Getting to Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is located off Highway 160 between Mancos and Cortez, Colorado. The closest major city is Durango

The Grand Canyon National Park is located in northern Arizona. The park has two sections – the North Rim and the South Rim. The North Rim and the South Rim are not connected by road. It is a 3.5 hour drive around the canyon to get from one rim to the other. Most visitors visit the South Rim because it is the easiest rim to access and closest to most the airports.

The closest airport to the park is Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG). This small commercial airport is located about 1.5 hours from the south rim. The closest major airport is Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), located four hours south of the southern park entrance.

If you are road tripping through several of the nearby California, Nevada, New Mexico, or Utah National Parks, airport options include Las Vegas (LAS), Los Angeles (LAX), Salt Lake City (SLC) or Albuquerque (ABQ).

There are several transportation operators who run daily shuttles from Williams or Flagstaff to the south entrance of the park and from Las Vegas. Another available option is the Grand Canyon Railway, which offers daily trips from Williams to the Grand Canyon National Park Depot located inside of the park.

Estimated Drive time to Mesa Verde National Park from major cities

• Albuquerque, NM – 4 hours
• Flagstaff, AZ – 4.5 hours
• Salt Lake City, UT – 6 hours
  • Click here for the best RV rentals in Salt Lake City
• Phoenix, AZ – 6.5 hours
• Denver, CO – 6.75 hours
• Tuscon, AZ – 8 hours

Estimated Drive time to Mesa Verde National Park from nearby National Parks

• Canyonlands National Park – 2.20 hours
• Arches National Park – 2.25 hours
• Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park – 3 hours
• Petrified Forest National Park – 3.5 hours
• Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve – 4 hours
• Grand Canyon National Park – 4 hours
• Zion National Park – 5.25 hours
• Bryce Canyon National Park – 6.20 hours
• Great Basin National Park – 7.25 hours
• White Sands National Park – 7.5 hours
• Rocky Mountain National Park – 7.75 hours
• Saguaro National Park – 8 hours

Things to Know about Mesa Verde Camping

Where to camp in Mesa Verde National Park?

Mesa Verde Campground Map

Campgrounds in Mesa Verde National Park

Campgrounds near Mesa Verde National Park

• Grand Canyon Camper Village
• Long Jim Loop Camping
• Ten-X Campground

Getting a Mesa Verde Campsite

Mesa Verde Camping Reservations

Mesa Verde First-Come, First-Serve Campsites

RV Camping in Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde Campgrounds

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Frequently Asked Questions about Mes Verde Camping

Does Mesa Verde National Park have camping?

Yes, Mesa Verde National Park has camping. There are 267 sites in the park, including 15 full hookup RV sites.

Can you park an RV at Mesa Verde National Park?

Yes, there is space to park RVs at most overlooks and parking areas. Wetherill Mesa Road is limited to vehicles less than 8,000 GVW and less than 25 ft in length.

Are campfires allowed in Mesa Verde National Park?

Campfires are allowed, conditions permitting. Please check with the camp store before lighting a fire and be prepared for conditions to change.

Mesa Verde campfires must be built in designated campground fire rings. Please ensure your campfire is 100% out before heading to bed or leaving the campsite.

Final Thoughts on Camping in Mesa Verde National Park

Pin for Later: Mesa Verde Camping: The Complete Guide to Camping at Mesa Verde National Park (2022 Update)

Imagine building your house on a top of a cliff?  Now imagine building your house on a ledge on the side of that cliff?  Seems crazy. The Ancestral Puebloans did just that.  They built their home and villages on the sides of cliffs.  For about 700 years, the men and women built a range of cliff dwellings, pithouses, pueblos, masonry towers, and farming structures before abandoning the region.  Today, Mesa Verde National Park protects their archeological history.  Over 4,700 sites have been discovered in the park.  Mesa Verde National Park is a unique national park protecting both a gorgeous mesa and archeological record of the early human inhabitants.

Camping in Mesa Verde National Park is a perfect way to get a jump on your day and explore the park.

Mesa Verde Camping

Things to Know about Mesa Verde Camping

• There is NO year-round camping. The campground is only open from April to October.
• Reservations are available for most sites.  A reservation is recommended on holidays and weekends.  Sites fill up fast and any remaining first-come-first-serve spots will be claimed by early afternoon during the height of summer.
• The Morefield Village Kennel is available from mid-April to mid-October for dog boarding.
• Each tent campsite can have up to 9 people. There is space for three tents and two vehicles at the campsite. The campsite has a picnic table. Many of the campsites have a fire pit. Please double check the fire regulations and ensure your fire is completely out before going to bed.
• Please do NOT leave any food, utensils out, or any scented items out. This includes toothpaste, toothbrush, chapstick. Pretty much put everything but what you are going to sleep into your car.  This includes your cooler. This is BEAR country. They have been known to raid campsites and human food is dangerous to them.

Getting to Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is a little tricky to get to.  It is located in the southwest corner of Colorado near the borders of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.  The park is about an hour and a half drive from the Four Corners Monument where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet.

Surprisingly, the closest major airport to Mesa Verde is the Albuquerque International Sunport.  It is still a 5-hour drive away. If you are planning on visiting Colorado’s other three national parks – Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Great Sand Dune, then Denver International Airport is a better option.  There is a great road trip loop that starts and ends in Denver and takes you thru all four national parks.

Where to camp in in Mesa Verde National Park?

Campgrounds in Mesa Verde National Park

• Morefield Campground

Campgrounds near Mesa Verde National Park

• BLM Land
• Ancient Cedars Mesa Verde RV Park
• Circle C RV
• Mesa Verde KOA
• Cozy Comfort RV Park
• Dolores River Campground
• Echo Basin Resort
• Kelly Place Retreat Center
• La Mesa RV Park
• Mesa Verde RV Resort
• Outpost RV Park
• Priest Gulch Campground
• Sundance RV Park
• The Views RV Park & Campground

Mesa Verde National Park Camping

** All Campground prices are valid as of March 5, 2019.

Morefield Campground

Morefield Campground is one of the most advanced campgrounds in the National Park System.  The campground is managed by a concessionaire (currently  Aramark).  Morefield is located four and a half miles into the park.  The campground is spread out in a wooded canyon.  This helps create a quiet place to camp.  The campground is popular with wild turkey and deer.  They come to browse on the wildflowers and other plant life.

This campground offers a gas station, RV dumping station, a coin-operated laundry, complimentary showers, a gift shop and grocery store.  Several of the most scenic trails have trailhead located in Morefield.

The best part of Morefield is the all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast available from the Knife Edge Café.  They are a great way to start your day before heading further into the park to do some hiking or to visit a cliff dwelling or two.

BLM Land

A small stretch of land between the border of Mesa Verde National Park and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal land is available for public use and camping.  This area is accessed via a small dirt road.  This road is minimally maintained and is open for dispersal camping.  You are welcome to camp anywhere along this road as long your vehicle is all the way off the road.  There are several pullouts along the road.  These are perfect to use as your campsite.

Please be responsible when camping here.  There are no facilities. There is no trash pick-up.  Please practice Leave No TraceLeave No Trace.  There are no official fire pits.  Please do not burn if it there is a burn ban in effect.  Wildfires are no uncommon in this area and we should do what we can to prevent man-made forest fires.