Visitors who view the Mesa Verde from the automobile roads gain but an
inkling of the weird beauty and surprises that this area holds for the
more adventurous. Horseback and hiking trips along the rim rocks and into
the canyons lead to spectacular ruins not seen from any of the roads.
Such great ruins as Spring House, Long House, Kodak House, Jug House, Mug
House, and Step House, as well as all of the ruins in the more remote
canyons, can be reached by trail only. Each turn of the trail reveals
entrancing vistas of rugged canyons, sheer cliffs, great caves, hidden
ruins, distant mountains, tree-covered mesas, and open glades.
[Illustration: A party off for the less-frequented trails. Grant photo.]
In making these trips it is important that the hiker prepare himself with
proper footwear, as the trails are very precipitous in places.