Mesa Verde: Must-see or not?

I'm struggling to fit everything into my West US itinerary (it's here!) and one way to relax it could be to skip Mesa Verde.

I quite liked it, but nothing more (I was actually pretty indifferent to Canyon de Chelly too). My partner hasn’t been there yet (first trip to the US, aside from a stay in NYC).

Any arguments for or against? Thanks in advance :)

Maybe read a few crime novels by Tony Hillerman.... I’ve been there twice and don’t regret it, even though there was a wildfire in between. Same for Canyon de Chelly and other places tied to Native American history. Happy trails

Mesa Verde...we rolled up around 10:30, easy does it...no spots for a guided tour before 3:30 pm. The park’s pretty big, so it took a while to get to the sites we could see from the overlooks. Is it really worth it? Feels like it’s mostly a time-suck. We were headed to Great Sand Dunes for the night—5 hours of driving—and got there after dark. In the end, we probably shouldn’t have stopped.

Mesa Verde has its own charm, but the main reason to go is to visit the medieval Native American cliff dwellings. The question is whether you're interested in the mysterious Pueblo civilization, which vanished without a clear explanation. I'm drawn to this environment and culture, but not everyone is. The visit involves climbing a few log ladders—it’s not difficult, but you shouldn’t be overly sensitive to heights. It’s essential to book in advance to avoid the situation described in the previous post: Cliff Palace: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/233362/ticket/502 Balcony House: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/233362/ticket/500 We also visited Chaco Canyon, a more remote site with an even stronger "mystical aura": https://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm The itinerary is already packed, so it might be better to save this for a future trip between Colorado and New Mexico.

In the end, to add some variety to our visits and include a bit of "historical and cultural" touch, we’ve decided to go. I’ll share a quick update afterward 🙂 Thanks for your comments.