2. Mesa Verde National Park (CO)

Photo Credit: Steven Phraner / Shutterstock

  • Share of all national park stays at in-park lodging or park-run RV camps (2025): 71.0%
  • Total national park stays at in-park lodging (2025): 15,610
  • Total national park stays at park-run RV camps (2025): 31,800
  • Total national park stays (2025): 66,808
  • Total national park stays (2019): 81,478
  • Percentage change in total national park stays (2019–2025): -18.0%

Unlike most national parks, Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado is celebrated less for dramatic scenery than for its extraordinary archaeological treasures. The park protects more than 600 cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Pueblo people, including the iconic Cliff Palace, offering visitors a rare opportunity to explore centuries of Indigenous history. Guests can extend their stay at the park's Far View Lodge or nearby Morefield Campground, making it easy to experience both the archaeological sites and the surrounding high-desert landscape over multiple days.

Steven Phraner

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Best U.S. National Parks for Soft-Adventure Travel
Best U.S. National Parks for Soft-Adventure Travel
With national parks entering one of their busiest travel seasons, researchers at Dunhill Travel Deals analyzed overnight stay data from all 63 U.S. national parks to identify where travelers are most likely to find comfortable accommodations while still enjoying an outdoor adventure. Rather than focusing on backcountry camping, the study ranks parks and states by the share of overnight stays occurring at in-park lodges and park-run RV campgrounds—highlighting the destinations where visitors most often choose "soft adventure" experiences. Researchers also examined overnight visitation trends since before the pandemic and how travelers are choosing to stay inside America's national parks. 1 min