The Trek in a snapshot
Location
Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Managing Agency
Mesa Verde National Park
Pets
Allowed
Fees
Entrance fee
Restrooms
Yes. At trailhead
Camping
Not allowed
Trail Condition
Paved path. ADA accessible
Sights
Park Point, city of Cortez, and 360 degree views of the national park
Water Info
Bring a bottle of water if needed
Best Season
Spring, summer, fall
Distance
About 1/4 mile roundtrip
Time Required
Less than 30 minutes
Parking Elevation
8541 ft
Summit Elevation
8571 ft
Elevation Difference
30 ft
Trek Planner Maps
Parking: 37.27952, -108.46194
Southern Lookout: 37.28003, -108.46146
Northern Lookout: 37.2815, -108.46205
Experience. Discover. Explore.
Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!
This is an easy walk to the highest spot in Mesa Verde National Park. You won’t need to hike much because you literally just park and hike up the 700 ft to the lookouts. The northern lookout gives you an amazing overlook of the city of Cortez and also the many mountains and forests to the north.
The southern lookout just about shows you the entire Mesa Verde National Park and you can see into New Mexico!
A fire lookout station is on top of Park Point and there are numerous kiosks about fires, geology and other park information to be read.
Being up 8571 ft really lets you see just about everything!
I love how lush green all the plants were! I didn’t feel like I was in a desert but some nice mountain meadow!
Personal Thoughts
After spending a full day in the hot sun, being on top at Park Point in the cooler weather really made for a great end to a great day! It was close to 100 degrees while I was doing other things in the park but at Park Point it was probably about 75 degrees. I recommend making the short stop to the highest location in Mesa Verde for the amazing views!
