And now for the rest of the story. Mesa Verde is world renowned for its amazing cliff dwellings, but it also has great natural beauty. Between 1989 and 2003, over half of the park was affected by fires. This drastic form of renewal destroyed ancient forests of mountain evergreens, but a silver lining can be seen in the diverse growth filling in. For the fall visitor, the aspen, oak, cottonwood, and other deciduous trees and shrubs provide a surprising color display. It's not sugar maples in Vermont – but it is spectacular in its own way.
These photos explain without words why the 21 mile drive estimated to take 45 minutes to exit the park from the cliff dwelling area took the Idiots over two hours. So many “oh-look-at-that-gotta-take-a-picture!!!” stops. Most of these were taken by the Idiots from the windows of The Beast. These are just a small selection of over a hundred attempts to capture a hint of autumn in Mesa Verde National Park.
