About the Campus

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is located in the Four Corners area of the United States, close to Mesa Verde National Park and the town of Cortez, Colorado (area map). From our beautiful 170-acre campus, you can see the Sleeping Ute Mountain and the 13,000-foot peaks of the La Plata Mountains.

In the heart of the Crow Canyon campus lies the Gates Archaeology Laboratory, which houses classrooms, education and research laboratories, and offices. Two special learning centers—one a replica of an ancient pithouse, the other a reconstructed pueblo—overlook campus from opposite hillsides.

Our lodge contains the dining hall, dormitory housing for 70 students, and a small library. Adults participating in campus-based programs are housed in 10 rustic but comfortable cabins modeled after Navajo hogans, with adjacent shower facilities.

A small, self-guided exhibit about Crow Canyon's research is located in the Gates Archaeology Laboratory and is available for viewing Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, year-round (closed holidays). Visitors can also walk the nature trail on campus or sign up for a day tour (June, July, and August) and visit our current excavation site. A small gift shop is open in the afternoons during program season (hours vary).

Please note that the Center is not staffed for drop-in guided tours.