Colorado destination dubbed one of 'most underrated' national parks in US

A recent piece published by Islands pins Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park as one of the most underrated national parks in the country – and their reporter is right.

In 2023, 505,194 people visited Mesa Verde National Park, according to National Park Service statistics . This places it at a close third behind Great Sand Dunes National Park among the state's four national parks, with Mesa Verde's remote southwestern Colorado location meaning it often gets overlooked by those residing on the heavily-populated Front Range – after all, it's a six-and-a-half hour drive from Denver.

That said, a trip to Mesa Verde National Park is worth adding to any Colorado bucket list.

For starters, it's home to some of the best preserved cliff dwellings of those inhabiting North America more than 1,000 years ago and on top of that, the park is filled with 1,000s of individual archaeological sites created by the Ancestral Puebloans.

And don't worry about having to interpret the cliff dwelling sites yourself – rangers lead educational tours from mid-May to late-October making it easy to fully understand and appreciate the historic features.

On top of being a world-class archaeological site, there's also plenty of outdoor recreation to be found at the park, with ample hiking, camping, and stargazing opportunities.

If you're looking to visit Mesa Verde National Park this summer, learn more about planning a trip to this epic destination here .

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