Mesa Verde to offer free admission on five days

Mug House at Mesa Verde National Park.

The National Park Service has announced the fee-free days for 2019, when visitors may experience all national park units, including Mesa Verde National Park, without entrance fees.

They are:

Jan. 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.April 20: Start of National Park Week/National Junior Ranger Day.Aug. 25: National Park Service Anniversary.Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day.Nov. 11: Veterans Day.“We truly enjoy the opportunity to offer free admission to Mesa Verde,” Superintendent Cliff Spencer said in a press release. “From annual pass holders to those who have never visited Mesa Verde, we encourage everyone to take advantage of these great opportunities to visit your park.”

Mesa Verde offers a look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home from A.D. 600 to 1300. The park protects nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings.

The entrance fee waiver does not cover camping or tours.

The annual $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass allows unlimited entrance to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas, including all national parks. There are also free or discounted passes for senior citizens, current members of the military, families of fourth-grade students and disabled citizens.