The rush of visitors who lined up at Mesa Verde National Park on Wednesday morning thinned by Thursday, a day after the park’s partial closure and the federal government shutdown.
By midmorning Thursday, traffic at the entrance gate trickled in. Fewer vehicles waited in line as a pair of park attendants greeted arriving cars, RVs and motorcycles.
The main road to the Mesa Verde Museum remains free to enter and accessible, along with all roadside overlooks, park restrooms and some hiking near the Morefield Campground – which is fully operating. As of Thursday, there are no closure signs posted at the front gate.
The government shutdown has effectively shuttered most of the park – including all the major loops, tours and programming, most hiking routes and the Mesa Verde Museum and Visitors Center.
No passes can be sold or no vouchers accepted while the park is shuttered, a front gate attendant said. Guided tours and most trails remain closed, but visitors who reach the museum’s parking lot can glimpse the Spruce Tree at the viewing area.
Tuesday’s government shutdown put the National Park Service on a contingency plan, keeping many parks partially open with only essential staff and limited services while furloughing thousands of employees.
While most of Mesa Verde’s services are shut down, Morefield Campground and all its facilities are open and operating normally.
The campground – managed by the private concessionaire Aramark – continues to run its general store, the Knife Edge Café that serves breakfast, the laundromat and fuel stop on the property. Aramark’s Fair View Lodge, about 15 miles up the road from the main gate, is open and booking overnight guests.
“Right now, we are running business as usual,” said Kelly O’Hara, who works at the campground’s front desk.
O’Hara said the campsite experienced some cancellations but also saw other guests deciding to extend their stays.
“Some because they like the campground, some because they are choosing to use the campground as their base as they visit other sites in the area,” O’Hara said.
A few hiking trails accessible by the campground are also open to the public.
“If they (guests) want to change their reservation or length of stay, they can let the front desk know at check in,” O’Hara said.
The National Park Service has not announced new changes since its contingency plan when into effect. The Journal has requested updated comment from Mesa Verde’s information officer, Dalton Dorrell, and Superintendent Kayci Cook.
During the 2018-19 government shutdown, Mesa Verde initially stayed open without services but ultimately closed after snowstorms made the unplowed roads unsafe for driving. This fall’s closure comes during a still-busy tourism season in the Four Corners region.
Visitors Thursday described a quieter park, one that still offered a glimpse of Mesa Verde’s scenery but left them adjusting their plans.
“I wanted to hike and see the structures,” said Elizabeth Smith of Arkansas, who was passing through the park on her way home.
“A lot of the hiking trails are closed, and the structures are closed except for what you can see from the museum. But it’s beautiful here and very quiet. I don’t know if it’s always this quiet, but maybe because of the shutdown there’s a certain serenity to it,” she said.
Smith said she plans to do laundry at the campground before heading to one of the few accessible trails.
“It’s kind of sad that you don’t know when you’ll get to come back this way, if ever,” she said.
Cheryl Polland said she and her husband, visiting from Minneapolis, were trying to make the best of their limited experience.
“We knew about the shutdown, but it went right over our heads, so we came anyway,” Polland said. “The ranger at the gate said we could still drive up to the museum and stop at the overlooks, so we’re grateful for that.”
Polland, who is visiting Mesa Verde for the first time, said they planned to continue enjoying the drive to the museum before heading back to Pagosa Springs for lunch and lodging.
“It’s such a beautiful drive, and at least we can see part of the park,” Polland said.
