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Spruce Canyon Trail
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Colorado
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Spruce Canyon Trail
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The Spruce Canyon Trail offers an opportunity to explore the canyon bottoms of Mesa Verde and discover the plants and wildlife that live in this habitat. Parts of this canyon trail offers the shade of Douglas Fir trees and the coolness and humidity of a natural wetland area. The presence of water in the canyon attracts an abundance of birds and other wildlife. Trail Description Starting at the Spruce Tree House Overlook near the Museum, this 2.4 miles (3.9 km) scenic loop trail follows the bottom of Spruce Canyon, and winds through excellent wildlife habitat. A steep climb leads out of the canyon and then passes through the picnic area before returning to the museum. Be Prepared Moderately Strenuous to Strenuous Be familiar with safety information before beginning this hike Allot 2 hours for hiking this trail Access into Spruce Tree House is currently strictly prohibited due to danger of rock fall. For Your Safety Dehydration and altitude sickness are common problems at Mesa Verde. Drink water and rest often. Avoid hiking during the hottest part of the day. While hiking, remain on the trail and avoid walking along unstable cliff edges. Pets and bicycles are not allowed on the trail. Please respect wildlife by observing them from a distance. Trails are day-use only. Trail Data 2.4 miles (3.9 km) loop 558 ft (170 m) elevation change Allow about 2 hours to complete
Introduction & Pithouse
~2 min drive
What makes a place a home? Abundant resources? Closeness to family? Generations of memories? Here you see one of the oldest permanent structures built on the mesa, where early Ancestral Pueblo settlers enjoyed many of the same comforts we enjoy in our homes today.<br /> <br />…
Cliff Palace View
~2 min drive
<p>Cliff Palace is North America’s largest cliff dwelling, with 150 rooms and 21 kivas. Cliff Palace was an important community center. It may have been an administrative site, an important place of business and cultural exchange, or simply a large village. It stands now as a…
Millset (Snow)
~34 min drive
6.7 mi · Hard
Dolph Kuss
~34 min drive
3.1 mi · Moderate
Farming Terrace Trail
~2 min drive
<p>This short, moderate trail winds along a series of farming terraces built by the Ancestral Pueblo people. Constructing check dams in a natural drainage to create farming terraces was a useful dryland farming technique. Soil and moisture collected behind the check dams durin…
Cliff Canyon Overlook
~3 min drive
<em>Cliff Canyon Overlook and Cliff Palace Loop Road are open 8 am to sunset from late spring to December 1, or until the first significant snowfall.</em><br /> <br /> The Cliff Canyon Overlook opens up to a stunning view of Cliff Canyon. In the 1200s, Cliff Canyon was a thriv…
Mcphee Overlook
~35 min drive
17 mi · Hard
Dolph Kuss Loop (Snow)
~35 min drive
3.1 mi · Moderate
Square Tower House
~2 min drive
Here, you see one of their most spectacular architectural achievements, built six centuries later.<br /> <br /> This cliff dwelling includes the tallest standing architecture in Mesa Verde, a four-story, 27-foot (8 m) tall structure that was part of an even larger building com…
Far View Community Sites
~7 min drive
<p>The Far View area was once an extensive farming community and one of the most densely populated regions of the Mesa Verde. This mesa top community includes Far View House, Pipe Shrine House, Coyote Village, Far View Reservoir (currently dry), Megalithic House, and Far View…
