Yucca House National Monument
National Monument · Colorado

Yucca House National Monument

Photo: Nationalparks · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Yucca House protects a large ancestral Pueblo village that has never been excavated, so what you see are grassy mounds of buried walls between Mesa Verde and Ute Mountain. There are no facilities, signs or staff on site, and the unpaved access road crosses private land. Download the visitor guide from nps.gov first, bring water, and do not walk on the mounds or take anything.

Good to know

Tickets
Free. There is no entrance fee.
Time needed
About 1 hour on site.
Best time
Spring through fall. Unpaved roads can be muddy after rain or snow.
Getting there
Cortez is about 15 minutes away. Durango-La Plata County Airport is about 1 hour away by car.

Where to stay nearby

Gateway towns with hotels and food, close to the park entrances:
Cortez, Colorado
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Yucca House National Monument questions

Is Yucca House worth visiting?

It suits people who like quiet, unexcavated sites. Don't expect restored walls like at Mesa Verde.

Are there restrooms at Yucca House?

No. There are no facilities, so stop in Cortez or at Mesa Verde first.

Who manages Yucca House?

It is managed by Mesa Verde National Park, whose staff can answer questions.

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