Mesa Verde Wilderness
Mesa Verde Wilderness is an 8,500-acre wilderness area in Montezuma County, Colorado. It rises from about 6,274 to 8,531 ft. The nearest town is Cortez, 4.8 miles away in a straight line.
Mesa Verde Wilderness map
Mesa Verde Wilderness boundary from USGS PAD-US or the managing agency, simplified for display. Not for navigation or legal boundaries.
Fire restrictions
Agency fire restriction orders for this unit are not tracked here yet. Restrictions change with the season, so check the current orders before any campfire, stove or target shooting.
County and local burn bans may also apply on private, state, or county land nearby. On federal land, follow the land manager's order; off it, follow the strictest county or local rule that applies. When both touch your trip, obey both.
Common questions
- Cortez, CO is the nearest town, 4.8 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance).
- The highest ground in Mesa Verde Wilderness is about 8,531 ft, and its lowest about 6,274 ft (USGS 3DEP elevation model).
Who manages Mesa Verde Wilderness
| Agency | Acres | Permit | Group size | Stay limit | Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Park Service | 8,500 | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | Mesa Verde National Park, 970-529-4465 |
Getting to Mesa Verde Wilderness
- Cortez, CO is the nearest town, 4.8 miles in a straight line from the boundary (not a driving distance). (US Census places, accessed 2026-09-30)
Trailheads at Mesa Verde Wilderness
- Park Point Trailhead (0.12 mi outside the boundary, 8,532 ft), at 37.2797, -108.4621 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Fire Recovery Viewpoint Trailhead (0.27 mi outside the boundary, 8,231 ft), at 37.2642, -108.5498 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Prater Ridge Trailhead (0.33 mi outside the boundary, 7,727 ft), at 37.2968, -108.4183 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
- Point Lookout Trailhead (0.76 mi outside the boundary, 7,920 ft), at 37.3071, -108.4201 (mapped on OpenStreetMap)
Trailheads mapped on OpenStreetMap: © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License , accessed 2026-09-30. The extract used here, with distances from the boundary: osm-trailheads-co.json. Where an agency layer lists the same trailhead, the agency's point is shown instead. Elevations from USGS 3DEP.
Public lands next to Mesa Verde Wilderness
- National Park Service unitMesa Verde Wilderness lies inside Mesa Verde National Park.
Measured between the units' boundaries as mapped in USGS PAD-US. Distances are straight line, not driving.
Other wilderness areas in Colorado
- wilderness.net (accessed 2026-09-30)
- prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com (accessed 2026-09-30)
- www2.census.gov (accessed 2026-09-30)
- openstreetmap.org (accessed 2026-09-30)
The sentences on this page are generated by software from the sourced records above, not written by hand. How this content is made.