Mesa Verde National Park is located in the heart of the Southwest. Mesa Verde is only an hour from Cortez, Colorado and an hour and a half from Durango, Colorado , where Durango Silver Co and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. The D&SNG Railroad offers spectacular views of Southwest Colorado and give visitors a chance to see the historic mining town of Silverton, Colorado. Mancos, Colorado is also just a few minutes from Mesa Verde and offers dining and lodging. Ouray is only 3 hours away from Mesa Verde and is part of the beautiful alpine loop. About half an hour from Mancos is Dolores, Colorado, home to the Anasazi Heritage Center which offers the history of the four corners. Hovenweep National Monument is about an hour southwest of Cortez and offers many interesting archaeological sites.

To the west of Mesa Verde is Four Corners National Monument which is an interesting place to visit. You can stand in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah all at once. After the Four Corners, Monument Valley National Monument in Arizona/Utah is another extraordinary place to visit. Also in Arizona is Canyon De Chelly National Monument, a very unique place where native tour guides take you through this amazing canyon. Back in the Utah area, make sure to check out Natural Bridges, National Monument which is about 45 minutes west of Blanding, Utah. Natural Bridges is home to the largest display of natural stone bridges anywhere in the world. Utah is has five of the most amazing national parks in the country including Arches National Park and Capitol Reef National Park.

On the east side of Mesa Verde are Aztec Ruins, National Park in Aztec, New Mexico. Aztec is about 45 minutes from Durango, Colorado and about 15 minutes from Farmington, New Mexico. Another beautiful place is Chaco Canyon National Monument which is about three hours from Durango. Colorado is also home to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument which also about three hours from Durango.