Spruce Canyon Trail

The Spruce Canyon Trail is one of two 2.4 mile trails, along with the Petroglyph Trail, that start at the Spruce Tree House trail head next to the Chapin Mesa Museum in Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado. From the trail head paved switchbacks descend into the canyon to Spruce Tree House, one of the major Ancestral Pueblo Ruins sites that can be entered.

It is possible to hike the Spruce Canyon Trail without passing by the ruin site, but it is a spectacular site and is worth a look even if you've seen it before. From an elevated view it is possible to see some roof beam details and rooms at the back of the site that aren't visible at ruin level.

After splitting from the Petroglyph Trail, the Spruce Canyon Trail descends to the bottom of the Douglas Fir dominated side canyon continues south for a short ways then swings north around a canyon junction into the main part of Spruce Canyon.

The canyon bottom is dense forest with glimpses of the canyon sides. I was scanning the canyon walls for small ruins sites with binoculars but didn't see any. There is a good ruins site along the trail but I didn't see it until arriving back on the canyon rim.

Climbing back to the canyon rim the route continues through the picnic ground close to the rim and you can view the trail where you were just hiking.

Continuing along the rim the trail passes Fewkes Cabin, named for Jesse Walter Fewkes, the pioneer archaeologist who did much of the early work in Mesa Verde. Fewkes was an early proponent of opening the ruins sites to the public as an educational experience. This is the oldest historic building at Mesa Verde.The trail continues past the old amphitheater to the overflow parking lot where you can scan the cliffs across Spruce Canyon to the west with binoculars. There is a medium sized ruins site just below the rim, over the Spruce Canyon Trail, but I don't think it is visible from below.

There isn't a sign pointing this site out and it doesn't appear on the park map. The Rangers said that this site is called Thomas House. I've walked this trail in 1:15 but on this hike I spent more time scanning and used 2:00 hours.