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.

Wetherill Mesa Hike and Bike

Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado held a second Wetherill Mesa Hike and Bike day on October 9, 2010. Wetherill Mesa 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.

On this special day, 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.

One of the best opportunities is that the trail to the very large Long House ruins site is open for a leisurely visit. During the busy summer season, a $3 guided tour is the only way to visit this impressive site.

The hike along the tram trail to the Long House trailhead is about 0.75 miles and took me about 20 minutes. The trail leading to Long House descends below the canyon rim along stairs for another 0.75 miles with spectacular views of the Rock Canyon area.

Normally, visitors arrive on the tram and hike in groups of up to 60 with no opportunity to pause along the trail and take in the views or examine the Pinon Pine and Utah Juniper forest.

Two or three of the Park Rangers were stationed in Long House to provide information for the stream of visitors, but there was no formal presentation. During my visit there seemed to be about 20 visitors trickling in and out, well spread out in the large alcove. In early October, the lower sun angle puts more of the structures in bright sunlight. It was easy to stop and find viewing angles that are unobstructed and there is no pressure to keep moving with a group.

 Long House was excavated in 1959-61 as part of the Wetherill Mesa Archaeological Project, one of 15 sites worked on from 1958 to 1963. It is estimated that 150 to 175 people lived here from about 1200 to 1300 AD. The back of the alcove has several special features including the seep spring water supply, several vague pictographs, a collection of grinding stones, and a kiva with part of the roof still intact. Usually the line to climb the small ladder to view the interior of this kiva deters me from looking, but on the special day I finally had my chance.

 The landing area between the two ladders that lead to the back of the alcove provides a good overview of the featured plaza area. On the normal tour, visitors are focused on staying in line to climb the ladders and don’t notice this angle.

The plaza area has some of the features that are found in Great Kivas, such as those at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, or nearby Lowry Ruins, but isn’t enclosed by a wall and appears to have never had a roof. The regular tour gathers in the plaza and discusses the possible ceremonies, sometimes painting a picture of people even watching from the canyon rims as music and dances were performed.

After visiting Long House, I continued on the tram road to the junction at the trailhead for the Badger House Community and returned to the kiosk along the normal hiking trail. As part of the special day, a hamburger and chips lunch was available at the kiosk for $6. My hike and visit to Long House took 1:45 hours for about 3 miles of walking.

Wetherill Mesa Tram Trail

The Wetherill Mesa area of Mesa Verde National Park is usually only open in the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but on September 19, 2010 the tram road was opened for a special day of hiking and biking. This special day is among the new visitor activities in 2010 that have also included three new back country hikes.

The main attractions on Wetherill Mesa are the self guided tours at Step House and the four mesa top sites of the Badger House Community Trail along with the guided tour at the very large alcove ruins site Long House.

The tram usually provides transportation to these sites and the overlook to Kodak House and the trailhead for the Nordenskiold No. 16 Trail. Park Rangers were available to provide information and support for visitors biking and hiking the normally closed paved trail.

One of the highlights of this special day was that the trail to Long House was open for leisurely visits, with rangers stationed at the site to answer questions. Normally, Long House can only be visited as part of a guided tour, often in groups of 60 that need to keep moving to stay on schedule. Visitors could hike or bike the modest distance from the parking area to Long House and enjoy the canyon environment and large ruins site at their own pace.

Most of the 5.4 miles or so of paved tram road passes through areas that are recovering from the forest fire of 2000. The line between what was burned and what survived is often sharp. The recovering areas seem to have the colorful yellow flowers Rabbit Brush and the important Yucca plants growing along with grasses.

In some spots some small Junipers and Pines have started. It took me 2:00 hours to walk the tram loop without stopping at any of the major ruins sites except for the overlooks at Long House, Kodak House and the overlook area near Nordenskiold No. 16.

Part of the Wetherill Mesa festivities included a lunch special of a hot dog, chips, and cold drink for $5. It was a perfect 80 F degree mid September blue sky day and the parking area seemed to have as many vehicles as on a normal summer day.