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Winter in Mesa Verde National Park

Things definitely slow down in Mesa Verde National Park during the winter months, but they don't stop entirely. 

The park works to groom several trails for snowshoeing and skiing, and parts of the Wetherill Road also are available for ungroomed skiing when there's enough snow.

The trails included in the program are the Cliff Palace Loop, Wetherill Road Trail, Prater Canyon and Morefield Campground Trails. The total distance covered by these trails is about 28 miles, and 20.4 of those miles aren't groomed. The ungroomed skiing is located on Wetherill Road, which is closed to vehicular traffic.

To find out if winter trails are open, call the chief ranger's office (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at 970-529-4622, or the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum (7 days a week, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at 970-529-4631

The six-mile long Mesa Top Loop Road usually remains open throughout the winter from 8 a.m. to sunset. Heavy snowfall or icy road conditions might close the road temporarily. The main park road remains open throughout the winter, subject to road closures when hazardous conditions exist.

From time to time there also are special winter hikes. Mesa Verde National Park, San Juan Mountains Association, and the San Juan/Four Corners Native Plant Society teamed up to offer a series of winter hikes during the 2012-2013 winter season. Some of these involved plant identification classes, others were designed to unveil the wonders of nature during these months.

As always, check the park's website to ensure these programs are still being offered.

Mesa Verde National Park

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