Ute Mountain Tribal Park: Archaeology in Southwest Colorado

Ute Mountain Tribal Park in
Southwest Colorado

Part of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation, the Ute Mountain Tribal Park has been set aside to preserve remnants of the Ancestral Puebloan and Ute cultures. It has been selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of "80 World Destinations for Travel in the 21st Century", one of only 9 places in the United States to receive this special designation.

The Park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres around a 25 mile stretch of the Mancos River. Within the park are hundreds of surface sites and cliff dwellings, Ancestral Puebloan petroglyphs, and historic Ute wall paintings and petroglyphs.

The Tribal Park is operated as a primitive area in order to protect its cultural and environmental resources. Emphasis is placed on experiencing the natural setting. Tours are guided by Ute Indians with a broad knowledge of Ute and Ancestral Puebloan cultures. The tours include Ute history and rock art, surface sites and cliff dwellings. The full day tour (which is highly recommended) visits four magnificent cliff dwellings and requires a three-mile walk on unpaved trails and scaling ladders. In order to protect the fragile resources, self-guided tours are not permitted.

VISITING the TRIBAL PARK

Tours begin at Tribal Park headquarters located approximately 20 miles south of Cortez on Highway 491. Round-trip drive from the Visitor Center, on gravel and dirt roads, is 80 miles for the full-day trip, and 40 miles for the half-day trip. No food or water is available in the park. Tours are offered April through October. Reservations are required. For up-to-date information on the park and tours, visit their website. Recommended visitation time is one day. If you choose the 1/2 day tour you may want to combine your visit with a stop at the Four Corners Monument. The full day tour is the only way to visit the cliff dwellings.

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