Fall season schedules at Mesa Verde National Park begin Tuesday, Sept. 8, with additional schedule changes later in September and October. Highlights of the changes include:
Officials also announced that the park will waive entrance fees on Tuesday, Aug. 25 to celebrate the 99th birthday of the National Park Service.
This fall, Wetherill Mesa is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for hiking and bicycle-riding on the Long House Loop, weather permitting. Ranger-guided tours of Long House are offered at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily through Saturday, Sept. 19. Tickets are required.
Step House will be open daily for self-guided discovery 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m., with rangers present in the site. Beginning Sept. 20, Long House and Step House are closed for the season, while Wetherill Mesa remains open for hiking and bicycle-riding on the Long House Loop, weather permitting.
Cliff Palace closes for the season on Sept. 14 for preservation work.
Balcony House remains open every day for ranger-guided tours through Oct. 31. Hours vary slightly by day. Tickets are required.
Fall hours at the Visitor and Research Center are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Tickets for ranger-guided tours are available for purchase in-person at the Visitor and Research Center up to two days in advance of your visit.
Tickets for ranger-guided tours are also available at the Colorado Welcome Center in Cortez.
For more information and detailed schedules, visit http://www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit or call 970-529-4465.