Mesa Verde National Park is working out details on a plan that would open Wetherill Mesa in the fall and spring and open the Wetherill tram road to bicyclists and hikers.
Details still are being settled, but one of the changes could include a daily bicycle-rental concession at the end of the Wetherill Mesa road, Betty Lieurance, park spokeswoman, said Tuesday. The tram that historically has shuttled tourists on the 6-mile-long tram road won’t be available this year.
The Wetherill Mesa vehicle road, previously open only in the summer, would be open for day use in the spring (beginning May 1) and fall (through Oct. 30), weather permitting. The Wetherill road traditionally has been open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
For a couple of years, Mesa Verde has hosted “Wetherill Mesa Hike and Bike” events in the fall, during which the tram road was opened to cyclists and hikers.
“Visitors that have come for the hike and bikes that we’ve had the last two or three years have enjoyed them so much,” Lieurance said. “We were hoping this might open up the park a little more to people – give them more opportunity to get out to Wetherill.”
Mesa Verde Superintendent Cliff Spencer said in a news release the bike-and-hike model will be used “to develop a similar experience for our summer visitors.”
With the tram being out of service this year, staff members got together and talked about how to meet a public request to enhance opportunities at Wetherill, Lieurance said.
“This is a good time ... to see if visitation increases and if everyone likes it,” Lieurance said. “We might find ourselves using the tram elsewhere in the park (in the future), or it may end up back on Wetherill Mesa.”
In summary, the three main changes to Wetherill Mesa this year:
In fall and spring, the Wetherill Mesa road will be opened for day-use when the weather permits. Also, the tram road, now called the “Long House Loop,” will be open for bicycle riding and hiking. The alcove sites – Long House and Step House, for example – will be closed in the fall and spring, but other existing hiking trails will be open for hiking.
In the summer, the tram road will be open for bicycle riding and hiking during the day. Tram service will not be available. Ranger-guided tours of Step House will be offered several times a day. Long House will be open for self-guided visits, and rangers will be present to answer questions.
A bicycle-rental concession will be available for daily bike rentals on Wetherill Mesa, assuming Mesa Verde is successful in getting a workable bid from a private concessionaire.
Details will be posted on www.nps.gov/meve, as they become available. Call 529-4465 for up-to-date information.
Those who can’t wait for the spring can visit Mesa Verde in the winter, Lieurance said. Several cross country ski tracks (when snow conditions are right), roads and trails are open at Morefield and Prater Canyon.
johnp@durangoherald.com
Mesa Verde - winter activities (PDF)
