Hike and Bike on Wetherill Mesa

Wetherill Mesa at Mesa Verde has the second largest concentration of Ancestral Pueblo ruins sites in the park, but is usually only open in the summer season between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The southwest Colorado National Park held a special Wetherill Mesa Hike and Bike day on September 22, 2012. The Wetherill Mesa Road was open to entry from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM with all visitors leaving by 4:30 PM.

The 5.4 mile paved tram road is open for hiking and biking to the several sites. Visitors park at the information kiosk as usual, and then set out on the tram road or the normal hiking trail. Staying on the tram trail, the first attraction is the 1 mile round trip Nordenskiold Site #16 Trail. 

The Nordenskiold Trail leads to a lookout point of the No. 16 site that features about 50 rooms and 5 or 6 kivas. This site has a round tower on the right side and perhaps a squarish kiva on the left side. There is a site diagram on the interpretive sign at the overlook point.

A small ruins site in visible with binoculars across the scenic Rock Canyon when looking to the west from the same viewpoint.

Long House is a good place to visit on the Hike and Bike days. The hike along the tram trail to the Long House trailhead is about 0.75 miles and takes me about 20 minutes if there are no other stops. Normally, visitors arrive on the tram and hike in groups of up to 60 with no little opportunity to pause along the trail and take in the views or examine the Pinon Pine and Utah Juniper forest.

This is a good opportunity to notice Long House details that might normally be missed. I noticed a doorway on the right side of the large Long House site that seems to have an inside stairway leading down to it.

In the same area I noticed a T-shaped doorway. There is some mystery about this type of doorway. Is it practical or does it have some symbolic meaning.

After visiting Long House, I returned on the tram road and walked back to the busy kiosk. As part of the special day, a hamburger or hot dog and chips lunch was available at the kiosk for $5 or $6. My hike and visit to the Nordenskiold Trail and Long House took 2:30 hours for about 4 miles of walking. It was an 80 F degree late September day and there were dozens of other visitors enjoying the day.

Inside Mesa Verde Square Tower House

During the 2012 season at Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado, ranger guided hikes into the Square Tower House site were offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from May 26 to June 16 and from September 4 to October 6. These tours start at 8:00 AM and last about 2 or 2.5 hours. There is a $25 charge and reservations have to be made. Each tour is limited to 10 hikers.

Square Tower House site was occupied from the mid 1100s to the late 1200s. The site contains about 49 rooms and 8 kivas. The eye catching structures are the 28 foot tall Square Tower and the Crow’s Nest high in a crevice.

The Square Tower House alcove isn't as deep as some of the other large sites at Mesa Verde. This might explain the exceptional height of the Square Tower House. The builders were forced to build upwards to add more rooms.

On the left side, there is a rebuilt section against the back of the alcove that was supervised by Jesse Walter Fewkes in 1919 to prepare the site for visitation by the public. Square Tower House was visited by the public in the 1920s and 1930s but has been visible only from the overlook until tours resumed in 2011.

From the right side view it appears that the all but the top floor have entry ways on the front and the right side. It also appears that there were balconies on the right side.

The lowest levels of the Square Tower have some T-shaped doorways. This is the tallest structure in Mesa Verde.

Like many of the large alcove sites at Mesa Verde, the builders incorporated the naturally occurring boulders into the structures.

Our group of 10 spent a total of 2:30 hours visiting Square Tower House on an early September morning. It was comfortably cool 60 F degrees at 8:00 AM and most of the hike is in shade.

Around the corner from Square Tower House is the seldom seen Little Long House. The 2011 and 2012 Square Tower House tours haven’t gone there but probably could.

 Little Long House is supposed to have a better source of water than Square Tower House.

(There is another post on Square Tower House that shows more of the overall features. Use the labels Square Tower House Guided Hike to find.)