4 Ways to Enjoy Great Outdoors in Mesa Verde Country While Safely Physically Distancing

Cortez, Colo. – Colorado is in the Safer at Home in the Vast, Great Outdoors Phase of its COVID-19 response, which allows recreation in the state’s massive outdoor spaces while maintaining a safe, sustainable level of physical distancing. Mesa Verde Country, located in the southwest corner of the state, is renowned for its culture, history and activities and offers a number of ways to get out and enjoy the great outdoors that make physical distancing feel natural.  

Here are the best ways to experience the healing benefits of nature in Mesa Verde Country.  

Important note: When visiting, please remember to follow COVID-19 safety precautions by staying at least six feet from members of other households, bringing hand sanitizer to clean hands when soap and water is not available, and considering wearing a mask while recreating. Officials remind you to stay at home if you or anyone in your household are sick or have COVID-19 symptoms.  

· Hiking

Mesa Verde Country has some of the most beautiful hiking trails in Colorado, from red-rock canyons to the cool San Juan National Forest and spectacular 14,000 foot peaks (a.k.a. “Fourteeners”). There are hikes to suit every skill level and to fit the amount of time and ambition you have available. The McPhee Overlook Trail, for example, is the newest trail in the popular Boggy Draw system. Offering fantastic overlooks of the McPhee Reservoir, the trail starts at the west end of the town of Dolores where there is plenty of room to park. The San Juan National Forest and the Uncompahgre National Forest boast miles of hiking trails in the backcountry. Lizard Head Wilderness area is one of the most rugged and pristine sections of southwest Colorado for adventurous types, with most of the hiking trails near or above timberline. At Mesa Verde National Park, you can take a three-quarters-of-a-mile hiking trail that leads you through six mesa top sites. Upper Petroglyph Point Trail (with no access to the petroglyph panel) and Soda Canyon Overlook Trail are also available. Mesa Verde National Park is in a phased reopening, visit the park website to get the latest updates.   

· Mountain Biking

Mesa Verde Country is one of the newest and most undiscovered mountain biking destinations in North America. It’s all about solitude, challenging trails, fresh air, and scenic backdrops when you hit the 600+ miles of trails in Mesa Verde Country. Whipping around berms and dropping off small to medium ledges at Phil’s World Trail System is a perfect way to release the stress of life in a pandemic. Just four miles east of Cortez, Phil’s World has 29 miles of trails built with the thrill of world-class mountain biking in mind.

· Water Sports

The largest lake in the San Juan National Forest and the second largest in all of Colorado, McPhee Reservoir offers water skiing, jet skiing, kayaking and paddle boarding on serene waters. Bring your own water toys or rent them at Doc’s Marina, open seven days a week. Spin and fly-fishers visiting Mesa Verde Country can travel in any direction to find fabulous fishing in secluded streams or wide open waters. Mesa Verde Country east of McPhee provides a dozen more creeks, rivers and reservoirs for snagging brook, brown and cutthroat trout, walleye, catfish and pike. Flowing from the San Juan Mountains through the town of Dolores and into McPhee Lake, the Dolores River offers a pristine stretch of tame and wild waters for Gold Medal fishing as well as boating, rafting, tubing and kayaking. Upstream of the town, the river attracts low-water tubing, while the well-known Stampede Hole and Ledges near the community of Stoner serve up some whitewater excitement. Remote waters and demanding rapids lie in the lower canyons where experienced rafters play. The Mesa Verde Country Fishing Guide (https://www.mesaverdecountry.com/sites/default/files/fishing.pdf) provides maps, directions and more information on fishing licenses and regulations.  

· Scenic Drives

There are two scenic byways in Mesa Verde Country that put the area’s beauty on full display from the safety of your own vehicle. The San Juan Skyway has been dubbed “America’s Most Beautiful Drive” and gives travelers a true taste of colorful Colorado. The Trail of the Ancients – the only National Scenic Byway dedicated to archaeology – takes road warriors on a journey from the past to the future. It was recently granted the Public-Private Partnership award by the National Scenic Byway Foundation.

For more information on planning a trip to Mesa Verde Country, call 800-530-2998 or visit www.mesaverdecountry.com. 

About Mesa Verde Country (www.mesaverdecountry.com)

Mesa Verde Country is in southwest Colorado near the entrance to the magnificent Mesa Verde National Park. The nearby towns of Cortez, Dolores, and Mancos provide accommodations, dining, outdoor fun and visitor services. Named the “Number One Historic Monument in the World” by Conde Nast Traveler and one of the "50 Places of a Lifetime-The World's Greatest Destinations” by National Geographic, Mesa Verde National Park is one of the nation’s first World Heritage sites and the largest archaeological preserve in the country. Two national byways pass through Mesa Verde Country. In addition to the National Park, Mesa Verde Country is loaded with other archaeological attractions: Hovenweep National Monument, Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum, Ute Mountain Tribal Park, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and the Cortez Cultural Center. Mountain biking enthusiasts have recognized Mesa Verde Country as one of the next great mountain biking destinations.

Contacts

Christy Nielson, Ore Communications, 206-399-1914, [email protected]

Gaylene Ore, Ore Communications, 970-531-2336, [email protected]