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In southwestern Colorado, 9 miles east of Cortez, Mesa Verde National Park is one of the nation's major archeological preserves. The park consists of nearly 5,000 archeological sites, which include 600 cliff dwellings that were the homes of ancestral Pueblo people. Mesa Verde, Spanish for “green table,” is so called because of its comparatively level top, forested with juniper and pinyon trees. The national park encompasses 81 square miles, rises 1,800 to 2,000 feet above the valley along the north side and slopes gradually down to the cliffs bordering the Mancos River Canyon.

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Residence Inn by Marriott Durango

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DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Durango

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Comfort Suites Farmington

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Comfort Inn & Suites

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TownePlace Suites by Marriott

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SpringHill Suites by Marriott Durango

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Homewood Suites by Hilton Durango

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Holiday Inn Express Mesa Verde - Cortez

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Hampton Inn Mesa Verde/Cortez

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ARTICLE15 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in the U.S. for an Unforgettable StayAAA Travel Editor, SMS02/14/2025 : Want to travel to one of the best all-inclusive resorts in the U.S.? Read our guide to learn about the top picks, locations and pricing.
DESTINATIONMesa Verde National Park In southwestern Colorado, 9 miles east of Cortez, Mesa Verde National Park is one of the nation's major archeological preserves. The park consists of nearly 5,000 archeological sites, which include 600 cliff dwellings that were the homes of ancestral Pueblo people. Mesa Verde, Spanish for “green table,” is so called because of its comparatively level top, forested with juniper and pinyon trees. The national park encompasses 81 square miles, rises 1,800 to 2,000 feet above the valley along the north side and slopes gradually down to the cliffs bordering the Mancos River Canyon.
NATIONAL PARKAgua Fria National Monument Semidesert grasslands and a riparian forest support abundant wildlife, including pronghorn, mountain lions, javelinas and white-tailed deer.
NATIONAL PARKApache Sitgreaves National Forests Along the south rim of the Colorado Plateau in east-central Arizona, the Apache-Sitgreaves national forests comprise nearly 2.1 million acres. They are named, respectively, for the Apaches and for Lt. Lorenzo Sitgreaves, who in 1851 led the first military topographical mapping expeditions across Arizona. The forests include the Mount Baldy, Bear Wallow and Escudilla wilderness areas and the Blue Range Primitive Area.
NATIONAL PARKArapaho And Roosevelt National Forests And Pawnee National Grassland In north-central Colorado past and present coexist within the 1,280,000 mountainous acres of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, which embrace some of the higher and more visited areas of the region. Creaking ghost towns in the Arapaho region set off lively ski resorts, and the rotted roadbeds of abandoned narrow-gauge railways contrast with the well-maintained highways that provide access to this rooftop of the continent.
NATIONAL PARKArapaho National Recreation Area In north-central Colorado, next to Rocky Mountain National Park
NATIONAL PARKArches National Park Arches National Park lies 5 miles northwest of Moab on US 191. The rugged area contains the largest number of natural stone arches in the country. Along with more than 2,000 arches are many red rock canyons, spires, fins and balancing rocks. The erosion of the
NATIONAL PARKAshley National Forest In the northeast corner of Utah, Ashley National Forest includes the only major mountain range in the lower 48 states with an east-west alignment—the Uintas. Ashley National Forest embraces this area and the pinion-juniper and ponderosa pine-covered benchland along the Green River. One of the major water-producing areas in the state of Utah, the forest was established by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.
NATIONAL PARKAztec Ruins National Monument In the northwest corner of New Mexico, just north of Aztec on US 516 to Ruins Road, is one of the best preserved Ancestral Pueblo ruins in the Southwest. The misnomer Aztec was given by early settlers who incorrectly identified the builders of these sandstone pueblos.
NATIONAL PARKBandelier National Monument About 50 miles northwest of Santa Fe via US 285 to Pojoaque, then west on SR 502 and south on SR 4, this 50-square-mile site sits on the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico's rugged canyon and mesa country. Pueblo and cliff dwellings constitute the remnants of an Ancestral Puebloan community established 7 to 8 centuries ago.
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