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Step House Trail

Intermediate
 4.0 (9)
  1. Areas
  2. CO
  3. …Southwest Rockies
  4. Mesa Verde National Park
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“A short, paved trail providing visitors with access to Step House ”

Hunter R
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Map Key

0.8

Miles

1.3

KM

Point to Point

7,225' 2,202 m

High

7,097' 2,163 m

Low

134' 41 m

Up

153' 47 m

Down

7%

Avg Grade (4°)

24%

Max Grade (14°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Historical Significance · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Family Friendly Children will love the prehistoric cliff dwellings at the trail's end.

Description

Travel along the Step House Trail to access one of the many Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings on Wetherill Mesa.

Step House offers visitors a free, self-guided adventure through cliff dwellings that show direct proof of occupation by two distinct groups: the Modified Basketmakers in A.D. 626, and the Classic Pueblo in A.D. 1226.

For the best experience, take plenty of time to sift through the Step House site, letting your imagination transport you back almost a millennium to the life and times of the Ancestral Puebloans.

Flora & Fauna

Penstemons, Indian paint brushes and small desert shrubs. Several species of birds.

Contacts

Land Manager: National Park Service - Mesa Verde National Park

Shared By:

Hunter R with improvements by Jean-Claude Linossi
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.0 from 9 votes

#7

in Mesa Verde National Park

#11035

Overall
  4.0 from 9 votes
5 Star
22%
4 Star
56%
3 Star
22%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#7

in Mesa Verde National Park

#950

in Colorado

#11,035

Overall
1 Views Last Month
305 Since Oct 1, 2015
Intermediate
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Photos

Descending to Step House, Weatherill Mesa
Oct 1, 2015 near Towaoc, CO
Step House hieroglyphs.
Jun 8, 2016 near Towaoc, CO
Step House.
Jun 8, 2016 near Towaoc, CO
Step House Trailhead.
Jun 8, 2016 near Towaoc, CO
Burned woodland and yellow flowers.
Oct 1, 2015 near Towaoc, CO
View of the Kiva and dwellings
Mar 14, 2018 near Towaoc, CO

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Weather

Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Sep 30, 2022
Sylvia Koelsch
3h 00m
Sep 25, 2022
Patti Cross
Jul 30, 2021
Gus Nordwall
Nothing 0.9mi
Jul 18, 2021
A L
Jul 10, 2021
Mason Smith
May 27, 2021
Tessa Vande Velden
Full sun, with ray, counter clockwise
Oct 2, 2019
Mark E
11h 30m
Jul 25, 2019
Trevor Moore

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