The Schoolhouse is ideally situated to be your home base as you explore this beautiful and archeologically rich region. Our country setting lets you leave the city behind and enjoy summertime hiking and bicycling, or winter snowshoeing and cross country skiing. And when you want to grab dinner or explore the local shops, we’re just a short drive from Cortez.

The centuries-old Native American heritage of this region provides amazing opportunities for discovery. The cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde are internationally known and they are just one of several points of archeological interest in the area. Many of these are the sites of ongoing research and excavation. If you are interested in visiting a “dig” in action or getting involved for a day or more in one of the projects in the area, let us know and we can guide you to those opportunities. There is so much to explore!

Ask us about these nearby activities: • hiking and biking trails • rock climbing (sport and trad.) • fishing and hunting • swimming, tennis and golf • horseback riding and sleigh rides • river rafting and canoeing • boating on nearby McPhee Reservoir • cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, tubing • gambling at Ute Mountain Casino

And don’t miss our region’s star attractions:

Mesa Verde National Park • The famous cliff dwellings of Mesa Verde are more than seven centuries old. The park has been named a United Nations World Heritage Site. Inhabited from about 550 to 1300 AD, the dwellings are constructed in naturally formed alcoves high in the canyon walls. Just fifteen minutes from Cortez, this is an experience not to be missed. www.nps.gov/meve

Hovenweep National Monument • The Monument features six ancestral Puebloan sites and eight kivas, erected around 1200 AD. The sites are characterized by square, oval, circular and D-shaped towers. There are also picnic sites and trails for hiking and biking. www.nps.gov/hove/index.htm

Ute Mountain Tribal Park • Part of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, the Tribal Park features hundreds of ancient dwellings and is operated as a primitive area, dedicated to the preservation and continuation of ancestral Puebloan and Ute culture. Guided tours by reservation only. www.utemountainute.com

Lowry Pueblo • This is an Eighth Century pueblo of forty rooms and eight kivas; both Chacoan and Mesa Verde building styles are represented here. www.swcolo.org/Tourism/Archaeology/Lowry.html

Crow Canyon • This archeological research center offers full-day summer programs for visitors interested in exploring Ancestral Puebloan culture and practices. www.crowcanyon.org

Anasazi Heritage Center • This federal museum, research center, and curation facility is a great place to learn more about the region. It also features the 12th Century Dominguez and Escalante ruins. www.swcolo.org/Tourism/Archaeology/ahc.html

Mitchell Springs • This Ancestral Puebloan community includes more than thirty prehistoric dwelling sites. Take advantage of free tours in May and June. http://users.hubwest.com/mitchell/index.html

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad • Just an hour away from the B&B is the town of Durango. Take the 119-year-old coal-fired trail on a 90-mile trip (usually about 3.5 hours) through the beautiful San Juan National Forest, to the historic mining town of Silverton. In Silverton, you can take a walking tour of the town, or check out shops and stop into the museum, located in the historic San Juan County Jail. www.durangotrain.com/indexmain-whistle.htm

Telluride • We are an hour and a half drive from Telluride, established in the late 1800s as a mining camp and now a National Historic Landmark. Winter skiers can often take advantage of our half-price lift tickets for Telluride Resort. (Unfortunately we are not able to guarantee the availability of half-price tickets, so please ask us when you book your stay.) www.tellurideskiresort.com

Four Corners Monument and Navajo Tribal Park • Stand in four states at once—Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The monument is a 45 minute drive from the B&B. www.navajonationparks.org

San Juan National Forest • This 2.5 million acre wilderness is spectacular. Enjoy hiking, biking, snowshoeing, or even boating on the eleven-mile-long McPhee Reservoir, located within the park boundaries. www.fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan/

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument • Covering approximately 164,000 acres, Canyons of the Ancients boasts the highest known density of archeological sites in the U.S.—more than 20,000 sites from a period extending from 450 to 1300 AD. The area includes Lowry Pueblo and is affiliated with the Anasazi Heritage Center, both listed above if you’d like to research them online.

We are also centrally located for day trips to these spectacular Utah, New Mexico and Arizona attractions:

• Chaco Canyon
• Arches National Park
• Aztec Ruins National Monument
• CanyonLands National Park
• Monument Valley
• Canyon de Chelly National Monument