The Wetherill Mesa is the quieter part of the park. Everything was closed when we got there. Here’s the official trail description:
The 5-mile (8 km) Long House Loop (paved) is great for hiking or bicycle riding, as well as leashed pets, and is wheelchair accessible. Bike racks are provided at trailheads; we recommend you wear helmets and lock your bikes.
It was much flatter than I expected and pretty boring. A good first hike of the season for me though. I didn;t want to walk back the paved trail and took a shortcut back to the parking area through the dead trees which shortened the hike significanlty.
I also took a side trip to Nordenskiöld Site #16 Trail which was much more interesting.
Here’s the official description:
The Nordenskiöld Site #16 Trail leads to an overlook of the Nordenskiöld Site #16 cliff dwelling. Guided by members of the Wetherill family, Gustav Nordenskiöld photographed and documented many archeological sites and eventually concluded that the modern Hopi and the ancient Mesa Verde inhabitants were closely related. Round-trip from kiosk is two miles (3.2 km); elevation change is about 87 feet (27 m).
Here’s the stats:
Distance: 5.77 mi
Time: 1:48:47
Elevation: 7,247 ft
Elevation Gain: 374 ft
Here’s the map:
Here’s the pics:
