Dogs & pets
Dogs in Mesa Verde: where they can go
Last verified A few trails6 ft leash max
Yes, but only in a few places. Leashed pets are allowed on roads, parking lots and paved areas at Mesa Top Loop and Park Point, and Wetherill Mesa trails except Step House and Long House; not other trails or ancestral sites.
Where pets are allowed
Trails
- • Wetherill Mesa: all trails except the trails leading into Step House and Long House
Areas
- • Roads, parking lots, and paved areas on Mesa Top Loop and Park Point
- • Wetherill Mesa trails (except the trails leading into Step House and Long House)
Off-limits
- • Trails, ancestral sites and buildings (on Mesa Top Loop and Park Point)
- • The trails leading into Step House and Long House at Wetherill Mesa
Backcountry: not stated
Rules & services
- Leash
- 6 ft or shorter, at all times
- Kennels
- A kennel is available in the Morefield Campground (Aramark, 970-565-2133); the page also lists organizations that can provide boarding information in neighboring communities.
- B.A.R.K. Ranger
- Principles listed; no program described
- Service animals
- Service animals are allowed anywhere that you are allowed to go in Mesa Verde.
In the park's own words
What Mesa Verde says about pets
Sentences quoted from the park’s nps.gov pets page, last updated April 21, 2025, captured 2026-10-05.
“Leashed pets are allowed on roads, parking lots, and paved areas on Mesa Top Loop and Park Point but not on trails, in ancestral sites or buildings.” nps.gov
“At Wetherill Mesa, pets are permitted on all trails except for the trails leading into Step House and Long House.” nps.gov
“Leashed pets are allowed on roads, parking lots, and paved areas on Mesa Top Loop and Park Point” nps.gov
“Service animals are allowed anywhere that you are allowed to go in Mesa Verde.” nps.gov
“Pets must be leashed (6 feet/1.8 m or shorter leash)” nps.gov
“but not on trails, in ancestral sites or buildings.” nps.gov
Worth knowing
- Page lists the kennel hours and pricing only by referring to Aramark's Morefield Campground webpage or the kennel phone number.
- Page does not state a rule for the backcountry, and does not mention a B.A.R.K. Ranger program.
How we read the rules
Every statement on this page was taken from the park’s own pets page on nps.gov and the quoted sentences are re-checked against our saved copy of that page each time the site is built. Parks change pet rules for wildlife, heat and trail conditions, and superintendents can close areas at short notice, so treat the park’s pets page and the ranger at the entrance as the final word. Service animals are covered by different rules. Compare all 63 parks.
Sources · 2
- 1.Mesa Verde National Park — Pets (nps.gov), last updated April 21, 2025 · National Park Service
- 2.Pets pages of each park on nps.gov (62 park units), read and quoted · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
FAQ
Mesa Verde pet questions
- Are dogs allowed in Mesa Verde National Park?
- Leashed pets are allowed on roads, parking lots and paved areas at Mesa Top Loop and Park Point, and Wetherill Mesa trails except Step House and Long House; not other trails or ancestral sites. Leashes must be 6 feet or shorter. (From the park's nps.gov pets page, updated April 21, 2025.)
- Can dogs go on trails in Mesa Verde?
- Only on Wetherill Mesa: all trails except the trails leading into Step House and Long House. All other trails are off-limits to pets.
- Is there a kennel near Mesa Verde?
- A kennel is available in the Morefield Campground (Aramark, 970-565-2133); the page also lists organizations that can provide boarding information in neighboring communities.
- Does Mesa Verde have a B.A.R.K. Ranger program?
- The park's pets page repeats the B.A.R.K. principles but does not describe a tag program; ask at the visitor center.
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