Cortez Guidebook

Rachel
Cortez Guidebook

Food scene

Surprisingly good food and locally owned. Management prefers cash or check to credit cards. 3 blocks away.
21 locals recommend
Stonefish Sushi & More
16 W Main St
21 locals recommend
Surprisingly good food and locally owned. Management prefers cash or check to credit cards. 3 blocks away.
Cool corner bar with good food. 3 blocks away.
25 locals recommend
Loungin' Lizard
2 W Main St
25 locals recommend
Cool corner bar with good food. 3 blocks away.
Great service, full bar, good food. 14 blocks away.
6 locals recommend
Tequila's Mexican Restaurant
1740 E Main St
6 locals recommend
Great service, full bar, good food. 14 blocks away.
Terrific food and service with beer & wine. 12 blocks away.
28 locals recommend
Thai Cortez & Sushi
1430 E Main St
28 locals recommend
Terrific food and service with beer & wine. 12 blocks away.
On main drag in Cortez. Guests say this is a great Mexican food place.
Mi Mexico
801e East Main Street
On main drag in Cortez. Guests say this is a great Mexican food place.
Cortez fixture for decades. It’s the real deal, worth a stop.
Burger Boy Drive In
400 E Main St
Cortez fixture for decades. It’s the real deal, worth a stop.

Entertainment

Classic movie theater for a fun night out. 3 block walk
Allen Theatres-Fiesta Theatre
23 W Main St
Classic movie theater for a fun night out. 3 block walk
Our own mini-Vegas. Good food & fun gambling 20 minutes down the road.
8 locals recommend
Ute Mountain Casino Hotel
3 Weeminuche Dr
8 locals recommend
Our 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.
276 locals recommend
Mesa Verde National Park
276 locals recommend
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.
56 locals recommend
Hovenweep National Monument
56 locals recommend
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.
43 locals recommend
Canyons Of The Ancients Visitor Center & Museum
27501 CO-184
43 locals recommend
12 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.
Visitor Center Monument Valley
U.S. 163 Scenic
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.
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 St
Just 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.
124 locals recommend
Telluride Ski Resort
565 Mountain Village Blvd
124 locals recommend
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.
Nice hiking trails. 35 min drive. Go through Dolores, continue 25 miles on hey 145. Trailhead parking on right.
Bear Creek Trailhead
Unnamed Road
Nice hiking trails. 35 min drive. Go through Dolores, continue 25 miles on hey 145. Trailhead parking on right.
Close by walking trails on the North side of Cortez.
Carpenter Natural Area
1202 Lebanon Rd
Close 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.
15 locals recommend
Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument
Utah 211
15 locals recommend
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.
2.5 hours from Cortez, plan to spend the day, cool natural arches created by wind and erosion.
23 locals recommend
Natural Bridges National Monument
23 locals recommend
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.
18 locals recommend
Goosenecks State Park
Utah 316
18 locals recommend
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.
1.5 hours from Cortez, in Blanding; wonderful museum next to Ancient Puebloan ruin with friendly knowledgeable staff and good gift store.
22 locals recommend
Edge of the Cedars State Park
660 W 400 N
22 locals recommend
1.5 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.
48 locals recommend
Phil's World Bike Trail
9450 Rd 30.1
48 locals recommend
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.
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
11 locals recommend
Boggy Draw
11 locals recommend
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.
11 locals recommend
Kokopelli Bike & Board
130 W Main St
11 locals recommend
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.
Downtown Cortez, Notah Dineh is a wonderful store full of native-made jewelry, Navajo rugs, pawn, artifacts and history.
14 locals recommend
Notah Dineh Trading Company and Museum
345 W Main St
14 locals recommend
Downtown 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 Street
6 blocks away, family owned hardware with lots of extra goodies. True home town friendly.

Traveler advice

Don't miss

3 Day Itinerary link

https://www.colorado.com/articles/mesa-verde-national-park-itinerary
Don't miss

10 amazing things to do at Mesa Verde link

https://www.colorado.com/articles/10-amazing-experiences-mesa-verde-national-park