Morefield Campground is located just four miles from the park entrance. The 267 campsites are located within a high grassy canyon filled with Gambel oak, native flowers, deer, and wild turkeys. A camp store offers registration, food, and camp supplies. Firewood, gasoline, showers, a coin-operated laundromat, and a kennel are located nearby. Each site has a picnic table, gravel tent pad, and fire pit/BBQ grill. The campground is managed by park concessioner Aramark and is open between spring and fall.

Morefield Campground — Mesa Verde National Park

We stayed one night in the park last August.  They have hundreds of sites and many were unoccupied during our visit in August.  They have huge camp store and restroom facilities.  The expansive campgrounds are exposed with little shade.   Most of the sites are also very uneven.  So you will need levelers if you have a trailer or van.  It can become very hot in the summer and you will need to plan carefully to manage the heat and sun. The Mesa Verde cliff sites are a bucket list item.  Wow!  It was very interesting to learn more about the Pueblo Culture and history.  Well worth the visit and the long drive from the entrance to the cliffs.  The cliff sites require step climbs and ladders to access.  They warning maybe a bit overboard and most people should be able to handle.  

Huge Campground in National Park

Stayed here in summer 2012.site was level with gravel/sand. Little to no trees in the loop.  No hookups but you can use generator if needed.  Not much to it. No frills here. Nice to see Deer walking around though. We stayed here so we could visit the cave dwellings. Very cool to climb in, crawl through and learn about the ancient Indian civilization.The Morefield Campground area inside the park was very basic. We were dry camping. No water, electric or sewer on the sites. Good thing we were self-contained for short periods of time!
There were two tours that we signed up for, Cliff Palace and Balcony House.
Cliff Palace was the largest example of a cliff dwelling in North America and spectacular. We were asked not to touch anything due to how fragile they are. This tour was a little strenuous due to the stairs and ladders that we had to climb.
Next was Balcony House and it was supposed to be a lot more strenuous. The sky darkened and the rain started lightly as our ranger guide talked about the ancient people who had built this structure. Since it wasn't lightning, we continued the tour. This dwelling had lots of stairs and mostly ladders to climb as well as a tunnel to crawl through that was only 18" wide. When we exited, it was really starting to come down and Wesley had fallen asleep somewhere during the tour. Jason had to carry him out which was nerve-racking and dangerous!


No frills camping

came to this campground for our honeymoon and we had a blast.. seen lots of wildlife hit lots of trails the cliff dwellings were amazing!! would LOVE to go back!! 
 

best camping trip ever 

Mesa Verde National Park was our second stop on our year-long trip to visit all 59 national parks. We were pleasantly surprised with the comfort, quiet and access to great hiking trails that Morefield Campground provided.

According to the NPS website, the campground rarely fills, and when we visited in August 2015, it was nearly empty. We chose a site in the tents-only loop to ensure a quiet environment. The sites are scenic and spread out, so we had no trouble with solitude.

From the campground, it is easy to access some of the best hikes in the park: we loved 7.8-mile Prater Ridge Trail and 2-mile Point Lookout Trail, both accessed from the Morefield trailhead. Yes, you should definitely spend time visiting the cliff dwellings (we liked the Long House hike &amp; bike tour on less-frequented Wetherill Mesa and the Balcony House tour on Chapin Mesa in particular!) but hiking is an underrated way to experience this park.

﻿The views at Morefield itself are not necessarily jaw-dropping, and it certainly doesn’t feel too rustic (free showers, coin laundry, and a general store) but it is a comfortable, convenient, and quiet campground that serves as a perfect launching-off point for exploring beautiful and historic Mesa Verde.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: [Switchback Kids (Mesa Verde)](http://switchbackkids.com/mesa-verde/)

Comfort, Quiet, and Quick Access to Mesa Verde Trails & Landmarks

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and stayed til Monday morning. Campsite was big enough to accommodate our 2 tents. Also provided lots of shade. We really enjoyed the nightly ranger talks at the nearby amphitheater held at dusk. The park offers lots of hikes and tours of the cliff dwellings. The only thing missing was a pool or some place to cool off at the campground as it was very hot mid afternoon. Bathrooms were nice and free showers are included.

Very nice campground!!

We LOVED this campground (even though we froze our butts off)! We stayed here on the very first day of fall and it was absolutely gorgeous.

In the tent loop we stayed in (Navajo) there's a variation of how the sites are set up. Our site was set up with the parking area up above, with steps down into the gambel oak grove where the tent pad and picnic table were. We really loved this setup, and it was really nice to feel a little more secluded from our neighbors than other sites in the campground.

The bathrooms are well spaced and clean, and we're fairly certain that the Wi-Fi routers in the campground were in the bathroom buildings. If we stayed there for a longer amount of time where we'd need to be working, we would probably consider staying in a site closer to the bathroom for better Wi-Fi signal. But for our relatively short (and work-free) stay, it was fine.

There are showers and laundry located in the main building near the camp store /cafe (where they have breakfast in the mornings, yum). The showers are free, and the laundry is very reasonably priced. The showers, though, at least in the fall, weren't my favorite. The ceiling is very high, and the changing area has no real separation from the shower itself, which makes showers pretty chilly as the water and water vapor has to heat up a much larger area than a smaller shower area. I think when we go back, we might try to rig our own shower curtain with suction cups or something to keep the shower a little warmer. Our second night there it had rained all day and the temperature dropped pretty rapidly once the sun went down, and a nice hot shower helped warm us up (especially in the morning) but it would've been nicer if there had been a shower curtain. I'm sure it's just a pain to keep shower curtains clean, but it would make a huge difference, especially in the "shoulder" seasons.

There is also gas at the camp store, but it costs a fortune. Fill up in Cortez before heading up onto the mesa and you shouldn't need any gas while in the park. There are also free dump/fill stations for RVs, which is definitely handy.

Overall we really enjoyed this campground and are hoping to go back soon!

WonderFALL

We LOVED this campground (even though we froze our butts off)! We stayed here on the very first day of fall and it was absolutely gorgeous.

In the tent loop we stayed in (Navajo) there's a variation of how the sites are set up. Our site was set up with the parking area up above, with steps down into the gambel oak grove where the tent pad and picnic table were. We really loved this setup, and it was really nice to feel a little more secluded from our neighbors than other sites in the campground.

The bathrooms are well spaced and clean, and we're fairly certain that the Wi-Fi routers in the campground were in the bathroom buildings. If we stayed there for a longer amount of time where we'd need to be working, we would probably consider staying in a site closer to the bathroom for better Wi-Fi signal. But for our relatively short (and work-free) stay, it was fine.

There are showers and laundry located in the main building near the camp store /cafe (where they have breakfast in the mornings, yum). The showers are free, and the laundry is very reasonably priced. The showers, though, at least in the fall, weren't my favorite. The ceiling is very high, and the changing area has no real separation from the shower itself, which makes showers pretty chilly as the water and water vapor has to heat up a much larger area than a smaller shower area. I think when we go back, we might try to rig our own shower curtain with suction cups or something to keep the shower a little warmer. Our second night there it had rained all day and the temperature dropped pretty rapidly once the sun went down (it dropped below freezing overnight, we had to make an emergency stop at Walmart to buy more warm bedding as the lowest it had been the rest of our trip was 51!), and a nice hot shower helped warm us up (especially in the morning) but it would've been nicer if there had been a shower curtain. I'm sure it's just a pain to keep shower curtains clean, but it would make a huge difference, especially in the "shoulder" seasons.

There is also gas at the camp store, but it costs a fortune. Fill up in Cortez before heading up onto the mesa and you shouldn't need any gas while in the park. There are also free dump/fill stations for RVs, which is definitely handy. It's definitely worth it to stay in this campground up on the mesa rather than having to drive back down to Cortez every night.

Overall we really enjoyed this campground and are hoping to go back soon!

Fun and Chilly Adventures!

Nice and convenient campground inside of Mesa Verde National Park. Very clean and well maintained. Many hot, 24 hours showers available in a large bathhouse within driving distance of campground. Sites were chosen upon arrival and lots of shady spots. Great location to start early and head out for the first cliff dwelling tour of the day! Don't miss a hike on the Petroglyph Point Trail to see amazing rock art and great views of the canyon.

Great Campground inside of National Park 

stayed for two nights, almost no other campers. Our site had small trees for shade. Its pretty, but not the most gorgeous views, those are at the top of the park! The campground was clean and quiet. The stars were out with little light pollution. There is a cafe at the camp store, recommend the all you can eat 8 dollar pancake breakfast. If you have two days do it, there is so much to see! There are also showers which were clean. Did the ranger tour of balconey house, was amazing.

Morefield Campground 

This campground is run by Aramark for NPS. It's adequate. Showers at a central location are free and clean; each shower has its own door so it's completely private. Laundry facility by the store is also clean...and large.

The bathrooms in the camping loops were clean, and there was a water spigot outside the bathrooms.

Camp store has a decent selection of craft beer at good prices. Every Aramark employee I interacted with (store, laundromat) was nice.

So what's wrong with this place? Vast majority of the sites are dry...which is not a problem. You don't reserve a specific site...also not a problem. Just get there early so you can get a decent site. Many sites have significant erosion so they look almost uninhabitable, and many have no shade. We got there early on a Thursday before Memorial Day and were able to find a level site with shade, and it wasn't on top of anyone else.

You're in the national park so it's convenient. And the park was quiet.

A bit worn; sites need work

You can get a reservation online but the site choices are first come. Some are totally miserable with no shade but others have some nice shade. We went to the onsite cafe wToo many times-pancake breakfast was awesome. When we went, it was during the big 416 fire so there was a fire ban but propane was okay. The bathrooms and showers were pretty good. There is also a laundry area. They are very strict about keeping anything that may attract bears in your car. The roads are good but are winding roads in the mountains. There are lots of different trails to check out as well as cliff dwellings-some require tour tickets. 

Went in June

Lots to do!

This was my favorite campsite on our South West road trip.  The staff was very nice and the camp store has everything you need.  The price was very reasonable and we had no trouble getting a spot.  The tent sites were all dIfferent, some nestled in trees, some out in the open, but all of them nice.  They weren’t too close to each other either, so you get some privacy.  As far as the park,  the cliff dwellings were amazing, like stepping back in time.  An absolute must if you are traveling through this area.  


Beautiful campground!

Our experience camping at Morefield was great! We expected the campground to be more full, but there were lots of choices for sites. We were able to get a great site that was well shaded, with some space between us and adjacent sites, and plenty of room in the site itself. It was my partner and I and we have a teardrop style camper. The bathrooms were clean enough (some spider webs, but the sinks and flushing toilets were clean). There were free showers with no time limit. We did not attend any of the evening programs, but there were programs available. We were under the impression that there were electric sites available, but were not able to locate them. There is a general store for purchasing ice, little items that may have been forgotten, and a gas station. Overall, this was a great experience that leads my partner (who hates camping) to want to camp more!

My partner now likes camping!

Very surprised with the actual size of Mesa Verde National Park. The facilities are maintained very well and are kept extremely clean. The showers they are amazing. Especially after tent camping for a week!

Be prepared to sign up for tours - under $10 per person, which is very reasonable - to see some of the cliff sites up close.T he museum and rangers were great. Be sure to buy your tickets in advance as there is a limited number of tours each day and they fill up. You can only purchase tickets up to 2 days in advance and it has to be in person. The tours are so worth the effort!

CLEAN SHOWERS!!!!!

Nice!
nice secluded spots amongst the trees. we booked online but got to pick out our own spot . not sure if this is always the way or if it’s because it wasn’t too busy mid June.
Showers and Laundry just a short drive or walk to where the camp check in is. Also a cafe , we didn’t eat there just coffee
$25 a night , worth it for the quietness and privacy of the camp site

Good Campgrounds!!

If you are headed to Mesa Verde, stay inside the park at Morefield. The campground is isolated, yet close to a store, showers and pet care. Some sites lack shade but most are very large.

Big sites, clean and beautiful

Stayed at Jimez loop, site #86\. Its got everything you need, except a ton of shade.

Quiet and comfortable

The only campground in Mesa Verde National Park, this is the most expensive National Park campground I have stayed in. Morefield is also the only National Park campground I've visited that had wifi, free showers, and paid laundry. There were very few other campers in the tent loops mid-October. The bathrooms are mostly kinda clean. There is also water and trash throughout the campground. Most of the attractions in Mesa Verde are a little less than an hour's drive away. I wish I could have stayed longer if only to go on more of the tours of historic sites.

Not Bad

The only campground in Mesa Verde National Park, this is the most expensive National Park campground I have stayed in. Morefield is also the only National Park campground I've visited that had wifi, free showers, and paid laundry. There were very few other campers in the tent loops mid-October. The bathrooms are mostly kind of clean. There is also water and trash throughout the campground. Most of the attractions in Mesa Verde are a little less than an hour's drive away. I wish I could have stayed longer if only to go on more of the tours of historic sites.

The only campground in Mesa Verde National Park, this is the most expensive National Park campground I have stayed in. Morefield is also the only National Park campground I've visited that had wifi, free showers, and paid laundry. There were very few other campers in the tent loops mid-October. The bathrooms are kind of mostly clean. There is also water and trash throughout the campground. Most of the attractions in Mesa Verde are a little less than an hour's drive away. I wish I could have stayed longer if only to go on more of the tours of historic sites.

We changed campsites upon arrival because of the wind, but there were plenty of very private and sheltered sites. The tent pad was almost small for our huge tent with a large garage, but we managed to fit. Chilly at night, but lovely during the day with easy access to the tours.

Windy, wild, and beautiful

Spent two nights tent camping. Plenty of sites and well accommodated. Camp store/cafe was excellent. 

Great park with great camping  

Very friendly fast check in- reservations not really needed but I always did just in case. They are very bear aware and have bear boxes and bear education. We stayed at the first loop- Zuni loop- closest to the laundry and showers. Surprisingly very quiet here. Stayed a total of 4 nights for app. $100. They have pancake breakfast from 8-10am for $8.00 but we didn’t try it out- smelt really good! Ranger program at 9pm every night and is very educational and fun! Overall great campground and beautiful park!
Just be aware that the part fee of $25 is NOT included in the camping price. Toilets are normal toilets with sinks. :) could take days to explore this park! 

Beautiful quiet campground 

This was one of the few national parks that didn’t take reservations via recreation.gov and their prices were a bit higher, but we booked anyway. So, the campground has FREE WiFi, FREE showers, a campstore, plenty of flush toilets with nice sinks and running water. There is also a laundromat with great prices. The store, showers laundromat etc are a very short walk from the tent campsites. The WiFi reaches the campground, it was great for amenities. The park is amazing if you have never been, we highly recommend it.

Morefield at Mesa Verde National Park is great! July, 2019

**Nice campground but a bit pricey**

  

Morefield Campground is the only campground in Mesa Verde National Park, but be forewarned, you might just experience a little sticker shot at the price. Cost for a tent site with NO hookups was almost$35 after taxes. The campground does has flush toilets and wifi through out the campground. Next to the camp store are showers and a coin laundry. Each campsite has a picnic table, tent pad and metal fire ring. The campsites really vary in appearance, some are out in the open right next to each other, other are in the trees and bushes which gives you a little more privacy, but most are still right next to another very close site. Some other these are perfectly level areas, others will have you going up of down stairs. The sites with stairs seemed to be slightly more secluded. While it was nice to have restrooms with running water, their was no way to dry your hands, so bring a towel with you as they have no paper towels or air driers for you hands. Water could be found at the restrooms. For you trash you had to find the one dumpster in the middle of the camping loop, but be warned, it could be difficult for some to open. I was a bit disappointed that the campground wasn't kept in better shape, especially for the price they were charging. Several campsites were closed due to needing repair, and the trail from the camp loop to the store was falling apart, it is need of new pavement or just remove it and go to a dirt path. They have Wifi, and said it was better the closer to the restrooms you were, but if a few people are using it, it really slows down. The Wifi was nice as you have no cell service in the campground. All in all this is a nice campground except for the price.

**Ranger Review of Banner&amp; Oaks Patriot Navy Blue T-Shirt**

  

I really like this T-shirt. Fit is just right and the shirt is really soft, and has stayed that way after numerous washings. The best thing is that it is American made, hard to find much in the way of clothing that is anymore.

Ranger Review of Banner & Oaks' Patriot  Navy Blue T-Shirt At Morefield Cam

Morefield Campground is the only campground in Mesa Verde National Park, but be forewarned, you might just experience a little sticker shot at the price. Cost for a tent site with NO hookups was almost$35 after taxes. The campground does has flush toilets and wifi through out the campground. Next to the camp store are showers and a coin laundry. Each campsite has a picnic table, tent pad and metal fire ring. The campsites really vary in appearance, some are out in the open right next to each other, other are in the trees and bushes which gives you a little more privacy, but most are still right next to another very close site. Some other these are perfectly level areas, others will have you going up of down stairs. The sites with stairs seemed to be slightly more secluded. While it was nice to have restrooms with running water, their was no way to dry your hands, so bring a towel with you as they have no paper towels or air driers for you hands. Water could be found at the restrooms. For you trash you had to find the one dumpster in the middle of the camping loop, but be warned, it could be difficult for some to open. I was a bit disappointed that the campground wasn't kept in better shape, especially for the price they were charging. Several campsites were closed due to needing repair, and the trail from the camp loop to the store was falling apart, it is need of new pavement or just remove it and go to a dirt path. They have Wifi, and said it was better the closer to the restrooms you were, but if a few people are using it, it really slows down. The Wifi was nice as you have no cell service in the campground. All in all this is a nice campground except for the price.

Nice campground - High price

We stayed in site # 169 with full hook up in the UTE loop. We had deer lay down in the shade behind our camper under the trees late afternoons. Love being in the National Park saves you from waiting inline to get in the park. With the National park pass you get a discount on camping. There is no cell service they say they have wifi at the check in building but couldn't get it.  You do NOT want to buy gas in the park it's $$ pricey. 

  

This park is amazing, there is so much to see. Loved the wild horses. Our site was perfect one of the better I think it had some shade. There is so much history here, the mesa top loop road has so many good overlooks. We walked a lot of ruins did some led tours which are so worth it. Cliff Palace was one of my favorites. The step house was cool too. 

  

Make sure you get a NAVAJO TACOS (INDIAN FRY BREAD) it is excellent. There's a navajo couple in the park that has a little set up making fry bread it's so good.

Nice campground in the National Park

We stayed here for two nights in June...we selected this campground because it had showers. We stayed in the Pueblo Loop, site 77, which we selected because it had some shade when most campsites did not, was large enough for our large tent, and was close to the bathrooms. Speaking of the bathrooms, they were flush toilets, and fairly clean, but no soap or paper towels in the bathroom. Overall, a nice campground...the showers were really good for camp showers. Only complaint-no where to do dishes except in the laundry facility which was only open 7AM-5PM.

Mesa Verde

I really enjoyed my stay here. I stayed four days three nights, a lot of the trails were closed the times I was there, (COVID-restrictions) but I did walk the Petroglyph trail, (Bring plenty of water with electrolytes you gonna need it!!!) they have cabins tent campsites,  RV campsites,  just a great park to stay in and the staff and the Rangers were awesome!  $9 pancake breakfast, I will definitely be coming back next year!! 

Beautiful !! 

This campground inside Mesa Verde National Park is run by Aramark, a major hospitality company, which has its pros and cons. First, it’s more expensive than most national park campgrounds at $36 per night, even for dry tent sites. We were able to get half price with our America the Beautiful senior pass, which also got us into the park for free. Otherwise entry would have been $30 this time of year. (The camping discount didn’t seem to be available online, only upon registration.)
There’s a camp store that sells souvenirs and beer. There are endless showers that are free with your camp registration, sanitized after every use. There are paid laundry machines. There are also many dumpsters and drinking water faucets. Toilets with running water are pretty clean, but there was no soap dispenser in the men’s room on the tent loop. 
We had no trouble getting a walk-up tent site. Some sites have shade trees and tent spots. All have picnic tables and fire rings, although a burn ban is in effect. The combination of Covid and the burn ban led to closure of many trails, the museum, and the visitors center. 
The beautiful native dwellings and some incredible geological overlooks are less than half an hour’s drive to the south.
Also check out Mesa Verde Voices podcast. Very informative. 


Concession in National Park 

I have to admit that the drive up and even more so back down was a white knuckle experience but worth it. Huge campground 

Beautiful place to visit 

It is a must on your adventure. With the incredible views of the mountain and the history in them Will leave you wanting more. Great for all sorts of adventures!

Great Views with History 

Maybe it was because I had spent days BLM camping- but Morefield seemed like a dream. Loved the atmosphere and amazing nights rest. The campsite offers decent privacy and great shower system with a general store. One of my favorite NP’s as well. 

LOVED this campground

This is a large campground in the National Park boundaries.  It has camper, RV and tent camp sites as well as 17 group sites.  There is a small store and a shower.  Each site has a picnic table.  You can also get tickets to the Parks attractions, but do this as soon as you get there as reservations can be a day or two out.

Large Campground with Good Shade Trees

Very peaceful campground in a beautiful national park. The campsites are nestled in among the low trees and brush, with pretty good privacy between most of them. There are a few hikes that lead right out of the campground with good views. And it’s convenient to see the sites in Mesa Verde. Peaceful.

Loved it

At the end of April, we stayed here when they don't take reservations and open only one loop of the campground, kind of a soft opening I guess. The visitor center, store, etc. is closed the upside to this is it's uncrowded. The bathrooms are clean with flush toilets, each site has a picnic table and fire ring most have some shade. Certain sites offer more privacy than others, overall a nice place to stay.

Nice campground with easy access to Mesa Verde Sights

This is a good-sized campground consisting of several different one-way paved loops for access. Most of the sites are back in but there are some pull throughs. There are a mix of tent and RV camping sites. Flush toilet restrooms are available and there are showers and a laundry a few miles away where the café, store, and gas station are located. Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring that can also be used for grilling. One section provides full hookups but most of the sites are for dry camping. There are several dump stations with fresh water available in the park. The information on the campground indicates 30 feet as the maximum size but some sites will accommodate rigs to 40 feet. Most of the sites are pretty level and are typically grass but a few have gravel. The area consists of small oak trees but only a few sites have shade. Our Verizon and AT&amp;T hotspots did not work in the campground. Cell service was spotty and that was true through the national park. There is wifi in the campground that was pretty good most of the time. Good enough for email but not usually enough for streaming.

Great place to explore Mesa Verde National Park

Cool view of the rocky ridge line. Sites have nice pad for tents. Brush tucks you into a little nook. Full amenities just down the trail, connected to site loop.


Desert Dwellers 

Short hikes to transcendent points; clean showers; and they'll make you breakfast. If you find the perfect spot, it's sublime here.

solid pancakes

The info we recieved was that this campground rarely fills up. We had no trouble finding a spot and once the heat of the day broke, we set off on a short and informative hike on the rim to watch the sunset. 

Rarely full campground with incredible sunset hike 

I didn’t expect much from Mesa verde. Much bigger than I thought for sure. It was busy but pretty nice. Decent campground. Nothing mind blowing. 

Better than I expected

A sweet spot, the deer come into the campground in the morning to join you for coffee! Clean, campsites are fairly well isolated from one another. 

Perfect 3-day weekend

Easy registration process. Great water pressure, Zero cell phone reception at camp sites!  Unplug it!    Being inside the park made the exploring super easy.  

Very private campsites 

Our first time staying actually inside of a national park.  We were not disappointed.  The sites are level with good water pressure. The registration process was super easy. Bring inside the park made exploring very easy. The only draw back, and it wasn’t a negative from my prospective was we had zero cell reception at our camp.  Get unplugged! 

Very private nice campsites inside the park

The trees were a-shaking with cicada activity. I enjoyed staying here. I got a tip that deer were roaming through campsites so definitely keep your goodies locked up. The spot I chose was right by a water spout, bathroom, and wifi router. Even then the connection wasn't too strong.

Wifi spot

This campground was very well maintained and the amenities were thoughtful, including bathrooms in convenient places that had potable water refill stations at them and bear boxes for when you were too tired to lock the food away in the car. The shower facility was very nice. The on-site shop didn't gauge you on ice and firewood prices. The staff was very friendly. I was impressed with how compliant even the weekend crowd was with quiet time. Overall it was a great experience!

Beautiful, quiet, clean

It was a nice and cozy campground. The sites are evenly spaced. They have huge deer that could walk through your site so store your food properly. Bathrooms are single person use. Other than that it was a nice spot to camp

Beautiful Campground

Pros:

*   Over 200 sites so was easy to pick up a site
*   Campground had kennel to keep dog (but also a con that it was basically a cage in a garage)
*   Good store at campground, along with showers, laundry, and restaurant
*   Lot's of wildlife around camp (deer, wild horses)
*   Got to choose our site

Cons:

*   Sites were very basic and small - disppointing for a national park
*   Sites were not level at all

All in all, it made a good home base for exploring Mesa Verde (and is really the only option)

Below Average for National Park Campground

This is a beautiful and special place. Plan to stay a while so you can take it all in. 

The campground is large, mostly flat. Limited trees where I was and unable to use hammock but other sites vary. Nice facilities at top of campground but too far to walk IMO for a shower so drive up. 

This national park is so special and mesmerizing. I was sad the tours of all the villages were closed due to covid (I visited in September 2020, I have plans to return 2022 to do some tours). Most of the park you can see from driving and parking different spots, but there are also lots of hiking trails. 

Shower tickets are included with your reservation (one of the few national parks with showers included in your reservation). They also offer a pancake breakfast at the store in the morning. 

Special and unique park

This campground was darn-near empty when we were there (due to COVID there were no dwelling tours), but we weren't complaining because we could do whatever hike or check out whatever dwelling we wanted to without the hassle finding parking or waiting for space to open in the walkable dwellings. 

  

Without a doubt this was a highlight of our trip. It would have been much more amazing to see the cliff dwellings close up, but we can do that another year! 

  

The campground itself was nestled up in some trees. There was little to no cell service, but at the store/ laundry area there was WiFi and "some" service. Our understanding was that they close the gate around sunset (the road is reallllly twisty and windy, so drive slow/ safely!) 

  

There is a hotel beyond the gate that has spectacular views, but we didn't stay there so not sure what the details are. 

  

This is a must stay (and if it's still COVID times, don't be discouraged about no tours!! It's still SOOOO worth it!!!)

Incredible campground for how close it is to the cliff dwellings

The park should be ashamed of this campground. Sites are too close together. don't camp close to the bathroom because the lights never go out at night in defiance of dark sky protocols. Trash dumpsters are impossible to use. Transport your trash to the nearest overlook, instead.

sites are very, very close together. Prepare to be disappointed.

Sites are particularly small….bring your pup tent.

Bare minimum

Desert beauty, lots of ancient history and sites to visit.  Campsites are okay, but with no water or electric in most of the sites (only 15 with full hookups and they are always reserved well in advance), $24 is steep.  Fortunately for us, we got a senior discount.  Was a bit concerned that they allowed campfires with red flag warnings all around!  Lots of families, groups, walkers, runners, bikers, and every age there!   Great for stargazing!!!  Like that once you paid your fee, you got your pick of whatever site is available!  Not a lot of shade, lots of birds, and springtime flora was abundant!  Sites are dirt/sand/grass with a picnic table and fire pit.  Water available at the restrooms. 

High Desert Camping

The campsites are very nice, and the bathrooms are clean however they don’t have soap. The showers are also very nice but you have to drive to the registration office to use them. 

Beautiful views

Not much in the way of shade, bathrooms are a little few and far between (but they're clean), no power hookups, no cell service, WiFi is essentially useless.

But my goodness, Mesa Verde is one of the most beautiful and unique places in the US. WELL worth the lack of amenities at the camp sites. There are plenty of visitor centers with cafes and shops, so at least you can get the basics. 

Camp spots are choose your own.

Camp sites are alright, but that location!

We had a roof top tent and were able to find a spot good enough to open up and still have room. The showers were nice and I even had warm water. Very clean and comfortable for tent camping 

Great spot 

When it comes to camping within Mesa Verde National Park, Morefield Campground is the only game in town. As noted by at least one other reviewer, the road from the park entrance to the campground can be challenging as it winds its way around the monolith that is the first prominent geographic feature reached once in the park.

  

Though the campground operator makes reservations, once in the campground site selection is first-come, first-served. After driving through the loops available for RVs and travel trailers, we selected a camp site in the Waipi Loop. The site selected was just barely adequate to accommodate our 18-foot travel trailer, but it was fairly level, requiring minimal leveling of the rig. Sites are well-spaced and close to restrooms and freshwater supplies.

  

We visited Mesa Verde National Park in early June 2023, well before the height of the tourist season. The camp store has not yet stocked many of the items it would probably stock later in the season so we cannot comment on how well it will fit the camper's needs later. There is a Sinclair gas station within the camp store complex, with gas available 24/7, payment is by credit/debit card. The shower facilities, located in the same complex, are free and reasonably clean though the drainage system leaves something to be desired - water accumulates in the stall and on the floor of the changing area.

  

We recommend Morefield Campground to visitors wishing to camp near the ruins. It is still another 15-20 miles from the campground to the ruins and museum. We encountered rain on each of the three nights we stayed so plan accordingly.

Convenient Camping Within Mesa Verde National Park 

Don't go the wrong way on the road the ranger will get ya, lol.  Stars and the moon where great.  A lot of people but still super quiet by 830

Stars

Pros: staying in MVNP!, flushing toilets and running (fresh) water everywhere, a nice variety of spots to choose from, nice showers available by the trading post 

Cons: a bit pricey for what you get (40 bucks for no hookup), distance from the shower/shop requires driving, absolutely zero cell service whatsoever 

Pricey but Fantastic

Beautiful campsite, three mule deer strolled through, munching their dinner as we cooked ours.  Well appointed store on site along with shower and laundry facilities. Campground had flush toilets— an appreciated amenity. 