CORTEZ, Colo. -- The price of visiting Mesa Verde National Park has increased.
Off-season admission, from January through April and in November and December, is now $15 per vehicle.
High-season admission, from May through October, is $20 per vehicle.
That's an increase of $5 during both seasons.
The entry fee is valid for seven days.
Annual passes for the park $40 and that price is valid throughout the year.
"We are committed to keeping the park affordable, but we also want to provide visitors with the best possible experience,” said Mesa Verde National Park Superintendent Cliff Spencer. “The money from entrance fees is used to improve visitor facilities and amenities.”
Admission fees have paid for water bottle filling stations, drinking fountains, additional visitor educational opportunities, new restrooms and stabilization work at Spruce Tree House and Cliff Palace cliff dwellings.
Mesa Verde National Park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.
In 2015, more than 547,325 people visited Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado.
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