Cortez Guidebook
Food scene
Surprisingly good food and locally owned. Management prefers cash or check to credit cards. 3 blocks away.
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Stonefish Sushi & More
16 W Main StSurprisingly good food and locally owned. Management prefers cash or check to credit cards. 3 blocks away.
Loungin' Lizard
2 W Main StCool corner bar with good food. 3 blocks away.
Great service, full bar, good food. 14 blocks away.
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Tequila's Mexican Restaurant
1740 E Main StGreat service, full bar, good food. 14 blocks away.
Terrific food and service with beer & wine. 12 blocks away.
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Thai Cortez & Sushi
1430 E Main StTerrific food and service with beer & wine. 12 blocks away.
Mi Mexico
801e East Main StreetOn main drag in Cortez. Guests say this is a great Mexican food place.
Burger Boy Drive In
400 E Main StCortez fixture for decades. It’s the real deal, worth a stop.
Entertainment
Allen Theatres-Fiesta Theatre
23 W Main StClassic movie theater for a fun night out. 3 block walk
Our own mini-Vegas. Good food & fun gambling 20 minutes down the road.
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Ute Mountain Casino Hotel
3 Weeminuche DrOur own mini-Vegas. Good food & fun gambling 20 minutes down the road.
Sightseeing
World famous historic cliff dwellings. 1+ hour to first ruin, 15 minute drive to park entrance then 1 hr drive curvatious drive into the park. Plan at least half day, worth it.
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Mesa Verde National Park
World famous historic cliff dwellings. 1+ hour to first ruin, 15 minute drive to park entrance then 1 hr drive curvatious drive into the park. Plan at least half day, worth it.
Entrance is 40 min drive, Interesting ruins, easier to access than Mesa Verde, fewer visitors, nice 30 min hiking loop around tower ruins and canyon park edge.
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Hovenweep National Monument
Entrance is 40 min drive, Interesting ruins, easier to access than Mesa Verde, fewer visitors, nice 30 min hiking loop around tower ruins and canyon park edge.
12 minute drive to a really cool visitor center and museum full of native artifacts and education about the local historic cliff dwellers.
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I-Canyons Of The Ancients Visitor Center & Museum
27501 CO-18412 minute drive to a really cool visitor center and museum full of native artifacts and education about the local historic cliff dwellers.
2 hr drive. Monument Valley is the quintessential setting for Western movies through the ages. It’s what deserts should look like, stunning at sunrise/sunset. Do some shopping at the pop-up stands of Navajos selling (mostly authentic handmade) silver & turquoise jewelry along the road. Stop at the San Juan Inn on the river in Mexican Hat for a beer and Navajo Tacos. Don’t miss the old tyme western movie museum at Goulding’s Trading Post.
I-Centre ye-Visitor Monument Valley
U.S. 163 Scenic2 hr drive. Monument Valley is the quintessential setting for Western movies through the ages. It’s what deserts should look like, stunning at sunrise/sunset. Do some shopping at the pop-up stands of Navajos selling (mostly authentic handmade) silver & turquoise jewelry along the road. Stop at the San Juan Inn on the river in Mexican Hat for a beer and Navajo Tacos. Don’t miss the old tyme western movie museum at Goulding’s Trading Post.
Just blocks from the house, a great place to hike, walk your leashed dog, bike ride or star gaze. Has an unexcavated ancient Pueblo.
Hawkins Preserve
1490 S Cedar StJust blocks from the house, a great place to hike, walk your leashed dog, bike ride or star gaze. Has an unexcavated ancient Pueblo.
1.2 hour gorgeous drive over 10,000 foot pass lands you in Telluride. Ride the free gondola over ski area to Mountain Village. Makes a great day trip.
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Telluride Ski Resort
565 Mountain Village Blvd1.2 hour gorgeous drive over 10,000 foot pass lands you in Telluride. Ride the free gondola over ski area to Mountain Village. Makes a great day trip.
Nice hiking trails. 35 min drive. Go through Dolores, continue 25 miles on hey 145. Trailhead parking on right.
Bear Creek Trailhead
Unnamed RoadNice hiking trails. 35 min drive. Go through Dolores, continue 25 miles on hey 145. Trailhead parking on right.
Carpenter Natural Area
1202 Lebanon RdClose by walking trails on the North side of Cortez.
20 minute drive to Ute mountain tribal park, known as the other Mesa Verde. It’s a less touristy and more intimate way to see the ancient dwellings and culture of the historic Puebloans. Reservations recommended but not required. You will have a local guide. Call the info center for more details.
Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park Visitor Center
20 minute drive to Ute mountain tribal park, known as the other Mesa Verde. It’s a less touristy and more intimate way to see the ancient dwellings and culture of the historic Puebloans. Reservations recommended but not required. You will have a local guide. Call the info center for more details.
1.5 hrs from Cortez on way to Moab, as indicated, a very crowded collection of ancient petroglyphs that is across from the parking area.
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Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument
Utah 2111.5 hrs from Cortez on way to Moab, as indicated, a very crowded collection of ancient petroglyphs that is across from the parking area.
2.5 hours from Cortez, plan to spend the day, cool natural arches created by wind and erosion.
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I-Natural Bridges National Monument
2.5 hours from Cortez, plan to spend the day, cool natural arches created by wind and erosion.
Goosenecks is a wonderous overlook of a river meander cut deep in red rock earth on the way to Mexican Hat, Utah. Next stop, San Juan Inn for Navajo Tacos mentioned in restaurants above.
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I-Gosenecks State Park
Utah 316Goosenecks is a wonderous overlook of a river meander cut deep in red rock earth on the way to Mexican Hat, Utah. Next stop, San Juan Inn for Navajo Tacos mentioned in restaurants above.
1.5 hours from Cortez, in Blanding; wonderful museum next to Ancient Puebloan ruin with friendly knowledgeable staff and good gift store.
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Edge of the Cedars State Park
660 W 400 N1.5 hours from Cortez, in Blanding; wonderful museum next to Ancient Puebloan ruin with friendly knowledgeable staff and good gift store.
Mountain bike trails
10 minute drive to Phil’s world, renowned for its mountain bike trails that wander the piñon/juniper ridge lines, offer terrific views and feature whoop-tee-do’s like ‘rib cage’. Super fun and close by.
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Phil's World Bike Trail
9450 Rd 30.110 minute drive to Phil’s world, renowned for its mountain bike trails that wander the piñon/juniper ridge lines, offer terrific views and feature whoop-tee-do’s like ‘rib cage’. Super fun and close by.
Sand Canyon, about 24 minute twisty wine and canyon country drive, has desert bike and hike trails that take you into back country ancient cliff ruins. Accessed by driving down McElmo Canyon. Sand Canyon Road is located on theSW edge of Cortez, follow signs to airport but keep going until you get to the Sand Canyon trail head that is part of Canyons of the Ancients park.
Sand Canyon
Sand Canyon, about 24 minute twisty wine and canyon country drive, has desert bike and hike trails that take you into back country ancient cliff ruins. Accessed by driving down McElmo Canyon. Sand Canyon Road is located on theSW edge of Cortez, follow signs to airport but keep going until you get to the Sand Canyon trail head that is part of Canyons of the Ancients park.
Great cruising single track trails through ponderosa forest. Trailhead located north of Dolores, about 1/2 hr drive from Cortez
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Boggy Draw
Great cruising single track trails through ponderosa forest. Trailhead located north of Dolores, about 1/2 hr drive from Cortez
Shops
Downtown Cortez, good place to suss out the local bike trails. For all your biking needs, great local mountain bike trail maps, 4 blocks from house.
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Kokopelli Bike & Board
130 W Main StDowntown Cortez, good place to suss out the local bike trails. For all your biking needs, great local mountain bike trail maps, 4 blocks from house.
Downtown Cortez, Notah Dineh is a wonderful store full of native-made jewelry, Navajo rugs, pawn, artifacts and history.
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Notah Dineh Trading Company and Museum
345 W Main StDowntown Cortez, Notah Dineh is a wonderful store full of native-made jewelry, Navajo rugs, pawn, artifacts and history.
6 blocks away, family owned hardware with lots of extra goodies. True home town friendly.
Slavens True Value Hardware
237 West Main Street6 blocks away, family owned hardware with lots of extra goodies. True home town friendly.
Izeluleko zedolobha
Ungaphuthelwa
3 Day Itinerary link
https://www.colorado.com/articles/mesa-verde-national-park-itinerary
Ungaphuthelwa
10 amazing things to do at Mesa Verde link
https://www.colorado.com/articles/10-amazing-experiences-mesa-verde-national-park