Cortez is considered a gateway town to Mesa Verde National Park. The town also serves as a natural base camp for exploring the exciting attractions of the Four Corners region. Cortez is home to a large traditional Native American population and many working cattle ranches. Look one way and you'll see desert canyons, look the other and you'll see majestic mountains. There are also several major lakes nearby. Best Western Cortez Colorado.
Things to do in Cortez
Conquistador Golf Course
2018 North Dolores Road, Cortez, CO
Cortez Colorado University Center
Another rich source of information on Native American culture, the center offers interpretive exhibits, displays from Ute, Navajo and Pueblo peoples, as well as special traveling shows. Call 970-565-1151 for more information.
Four Corners Monument
Located 38 miles southwest of Cortez, just off Highway 160, the monument consists of equal parts of the arid lands of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. This is the only place in the United States where visitors - on hands and knees - can be in all four states at once.
Mesa Verde National Park
A world center for exploring the ancient culture of the Ancestral Puebloan people, who built spectacular cliff dwellings and mesa top villages between A.D. 450 and 1300. There are many archeological sites within the park, and excellent interpretive loops and scenic pullouts throughout. The park is located just 10 miles from Cortez and provides many services including, interpretive tours, and restaurants.
Rim Rock Outfitters
Ute Mountain Tribal Park
Within the park are hundreds of surface sites, cliff dwellings, historic Ute wall paintings and petroglyphs. Ute Indians, for the purpose of park protection and preservation, guide all full and half day tours. Junction of Highway 160 and 666. Call 800-847-5485 for more information.