Interested in volunteering at Mesa Verde National Park? Come to the Annual Volunteer Open House events to find out about available opportunities such as:
- Providing information on park trails
- Assisting on tours of cliff dwellings
- Landscape maintenance
- Assisting with astronomy programs
- And more depending on interest and need!
Stop by the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center at any of the times listed below to meet our volunteer coordinator and learn more about volunteering at Mesa Verde. Spread the word and come on by!
- Saturday 3/28 from 10am-12pm or 1-3pm
- Monday 3/30 from 1-3pm
The Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center is located just off Highway 160 at the park entrance.
Photo Description: A poster advertising the volunteer events. The information is white text in green text boxes. The text boxes are over a picture of a stone building. The National Park Service volunteer graphic is in the upper right.
Hiring Alert!
Do you have a passion for working with people? If yes, apply to be the Mesa Verde National Park’s concessions management specialist.
As a concessions management specialist, you would be the main liaison between the National Park Service and commercial operators. Commercial operators provide services at Far View Lodge, Morefield Campground, and more.
To learn more about the position, see qualifications, and apply visit https://www.usajobs.gov/job/861161300. The opportunity closes on March 20, 2026.
Photo Credit: NPS Photo
Photo Description: A wooden sign in front of a stone building surrounded by trees. The sign reads "Spruce Tree Terrace Restaurant Gift Shop" along with the hours of operation.
Do you want to work with a great team in an amazing place? If so, Mesa Verde National Park is hiring an engineering equipment operator!
The position operates a variety of engineering equipment such as snowplows, graders, dump trucks, loaders, backhoes, heavy trucks, and trailers. The position operates front end loaders to load trucks, stockpile material, clean ditches, and clean up storm damage.
At times, equipment is operated in difficult terrain, on congested roads, and in extreme weather conditions.
To learn more about the position, see qualifications, and apply visit www.usajobs.gov/job/860105000. The opportunity closes on March 18, 2026.
Image Credit: NPS Photo
Image Description: Large amounts of snow along a snow-packed road with trees and bushes in the background. Along the road, a large blower is blowing snow off the roadway.
To take advantage of favorable weather conditions, fire managers are planning to conduct a pile burn in Mesa Verde National Park on February 17 – February 19, 2026. Firefighters will burn one large slash pile, approximately 0.25 acres in size, located adjacent to the park's four-way stop near the headquarters loop. Firefighters will be on scene for the duration of the operation.
Smoke impacts to the surrounding communities of Mancos, Cortez, and Towaoc, Colo. are expected to be minimal, and smoke may or may not be visible. Smoke and flames may be visible from the main park road during and up to one to two days post-ignition.
For more information, please view the press release on the park’s website at https://www.nps.gov/meve/learn/news/update-pile-burn-planned.htm.
Image description: A National Park Service arrowhead symbol featuring a mountain, bison, and trees and the words "National Park Service." To the right of the symbol is text reading "Pile Burning in Mesa Verde."
On December 25, 2025, and January 1, 2026, the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center will be closed for the holidays. No visitor contact stations will be open. Outdoor areas that are normally open this time of year will be available as usual. This includes the Main Park Road and the Mesa Top Loop. Winter weather can cause additional delays and closures. On the day of your visit, check the park’s opening status at https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/conditions.htm.
Image Credit: NPS
Image Description: The sign at the Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center. The dark text reads, "Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center." The text is to the right of a National Park Service arrowhead symbol featuring a tree, bison, and mountain. The sign is on a rock wall.
As a reminder, visitor facilities such as the Mesa Verde Museum and the Visitor and Research Center will be closed tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, for the federal holiday.
Currently open non-staffed areas of the park, such as overlooks, hiking trails, and driving loops, will remain open.
Enjoy the holidays!
Image credit: NPS/Mimi Gorman
Image description: A wild turkey standing in a grassy area between trees and benches.
These signs ain't just for snow (they're actually for ice).
Cold weather is here to stay at Mesa Verde, and that means careful driving for those visiting the park! Some north-facing sections of roadway, shaded from the sun, can remain icy 24 hours a day.
Even when it appears clear and sunny, please keep your eyes on the road and note posted speed limits, for safety's sake.
Image credit: NPS
Image description: A diamond-shaped yellow sign reading "ICY ROAD" is covered in snow against a background of ice-covered bushy, a snowy roadway, and thick fog.
There's a chill in the air, but we're evergreen 🌲😎
Summer is over, and so is tour season, but there is still plenty to do on the Mesa until next spring! 🏫The Visitor and Research Center will be open from 8:30am to 4:00pm every day.
🏛️The Mesa Verde Museum will be open from 10:00am to 3:00pm every day, with the park film playing every 1/2 hour.
🥾All hiking trails are open, with the exception of those on Wetherill Mesa. The Far View Sites will remain open until the first major snowfall of the year.
🛣️ All roads in the park are open, with the exception of Wetherill Mesa. The Cliff Palace Loop will remain open until the first major snowfall of the year.
🤠 Ranger programs for the year are concluded. See you next year!
Image credit: NPS
Image description: A tree-lined cliffside looking out into a canyon, with the light streaming through the branches.
Interested in a career protecting visitors as well as cultural and natural resources? The National Park Service is currently seeking applicants, particularly those with previous local, state, tribal, or federal law enforcement experience, to fill Ranger (Law Enforcement) positions at locations all across the country.
All applications are submitted via usajobs.gov. New hires will attend Land Management Police Training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, or those with previous basic law enforcement academy experience will attend the 4-week NPS Basic Academy Bridge Training Program. Successful completion of field training (11+ weeks) also required.
For more information, visit go.nps.gov/lawenforcement or email [email protected].
Image credit: NPS
Image description: A flier with the above information and three photos of individuals fulfilling law enforcement duties at NPS sites across the country. In the first, a uniformed ranger sits on a ridge and looks down a canyon-bottom river using binoculars. In the second, a helmeted ranger in a yellow jacket sits in the doorway of a helicopter on a mountainside. In the third, a ranger in climbing gear secures a rope to an ice-covered cliff as another individual climbs their way down it.
Want a guided look at a massive, unexcavated pueblo, right around the corner from Mesa Verde? Well lace up your boots, because Yucca House National Monument tours are available for next month!
Join Mesa Verde National Park rangers for free tours of Yucca House on October 5th, 12th, 18th, and 19th. Registration is required, call (970) 529-5037 for sign-up. All tours will meet at 9:00 am at the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez.
Yucca House is an area with dense brush, uneven terrain, and no formal trails. Long pants, closed-toed shoes, and plenty of water are all highly recommended.
See you out there!
Image credit: NPS
Image description: Among brushy mounds, sections of the sandstone walls of Yucca House poke through the overgrowth as the high cliffs of Mesa Verde rise in the background under a cloudy sky.
Autumn is a great time for cliff dwelling tours at Mesa Verde! The heat of summer is over, and now there are beautiful fall days perfect for exploring in the park. Cliff dwelling tours are still available through October 19th. Visit our "Cliff Dwelling Tours" webpage for more information about reserving tours at https://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit/cliff_dwelling_tours.htm
Photo: NPS
Image Description: A large stone village (Cliff Palace) in a sandstone alcove with green, red, and orange trees and shrubs in the foreground.
Don't let your plans *fall* by the wayside! 🍂
The weather is cooling, and the leaves are changing at Mesa Verde, and the tour season is beginning to wind to a close as well. Wetherill Mesa, the western loop of the park, will be closed after September 29th. That means if you want to visit Step House, Long House, or take a nice long walk on the Long House Loop, this week is the time to do it!
Image credit: NPS
Image description:
(1) A colorful series of red, brown, yellow, and green plants in autumn at Mesa Verde.
(2) Long House, a large cliff dwelling on Wetherill Mesa, a many-roomed structure made of carved sandstone blocks with ladders going between different areas.
