swdke

If I were to arrive at Mesa Verde Visitor's center early enough to obtain tickets for Cliff House, and Balcony House, assuming I could get tickets to both, and I also wanted to visit Spruce Tree, what would be the logistics of seeing all three in a day?

For example, of these three, which do I visit 1st, 2nd, 3rd?

How much time should I allow for each?

How much time is necessary to get from one tour, and be there in time for the next location's tour?

Has anyone managed to do these three in a day?

Thanks for your help.

emalloy

You go by Spruce Tree House on the way to the others, so either before or after your tours. I don't know if they open earlier later in the season, but we were there last week and had to wait for them to open Spruce Tree. You can do Spruce Tree on your own. The ranger led tours will be when you can get on the list for them, I think you should allow about a half hour to drive from the VC to the parking area for them.

We did a late afternoon ride around the Mesa top loop and there were very nice views over to the several dwellings from stops along the way. Some were views of ones that don't have public access.

Check to make sure that the road construction is done when you are going, or add plenty of time to your trip in. We were held up twice in one way areas following a lead truck.

DebitNM

When you buy your tickets [which you can do the afternoon before] they will allocate enough time between them so that you can get from one to another.

I would also like to suggest, if you have time, to think about going to Wetherill Mesa. It is another 45 min drive, once inside the park, but it has some really amazing ruins. Long House has a unique feature -- you actually climb up and into the dwelling and get to look out from it, seeing virtually the same view that the Ancestral Puebloans saw 1000 years ago! With the other ruins, you look at/into them. Balcony House has a pretty narrow tunnel you have to climb through on your hands and knees and some steep ladders that scare a few folks. Just so you know!

spirobulldog

If for some reason you happened to have time, the pictograph trail is a pretty nice hike, but see as many ruins as possible. I can't remember whether it was Balcony or Cliff that had the ladders to climb and even partly on the side of a rock face, but it was my favorite one. They are all similar, yet different. There are many of them that you will see that are not open to the public, but you can see them well from the road or trails. I hope to make it to wetherill area sometime as it looks great. Far View Lodge has pretty good food. If you can stay a night or two it is much easier to accomplish most of what you are listing.

http://www.photoworks.com/slideshow/...4?source=pw980
click link for our pics-sorry they are out of order, look through all of them Mesa Verde/Durango/Four Corners/Monument Valley

DebitNM

Balcony House has the ladders against the rock face and they are pretty vertical.

smom

Is there a weight limit on these tours because of the ladders, et. My husband is a big and fit guy.

emalloy

I'm not sure about a weight limit, but you are at altitude and if you live close to sea level you will find it is much harder to climb. We did the ladders and found that we were sucking wind and had to proceed quite slowly, as did most of the people with us. The ladders feel quite vertical and are not for people with fear of heights.

DebitNM

Balcony House has a pretty small "tunnel" that you have to climb through to exit. You have to go through it on hands and knees. There is a mock up of it outside of the Visitor Center to try and see if you fit - seriously, if your husband can't fit, don't go as there is no other way out. It isn't long, maybe 6 or 8 feet, but it is tight and I am not a big guy

smom

thanks for the info