Point Lookout and Prater Ridge in Mesa Verde National Park, CO

Hike Point Lookout and Prater Ridge Mesa Verde National Park, CO

Class 1 5.4 miles 1200 gain 3-5 hrs Out + Back Aug 16, 2023
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Point Lookout and Prater Ridge GPX Track

I need to offset my substantial website costs somehow! You can download a hike/drive GPX to assist you here. Before sharing my GPX tracks with others, please remember my site is otherwise a free resource.

I did a combination of two hikes within Mesa Verde National Park, the Point Lookout Trail and the Prater Ridge Trail. Mesa Verde is known for its preservation of dwellings from the Ancestral Pueblo people, and I recommend taking one of the tours when visiting the park. These two hikes just reaches a couple of pretty viewpoints using well-maintained trails, no ruins to be found. The hikes are so close together and so short that I grouped them into one little write-up.

I started off with the Point Lookout Trail (parking: 37.30709, -108.42019). This mellow trail switchbacks a bunch of times before reaching Point Lookout’s mesatop, then continues north to a nice overlook toward the San Juan Mountains and the primary Mesa Verde National Park access road. The high point of Point Lookout also happens to be here.

The Prater Ridge Trailhead is located closer to Mesa Top Ruins Road (parking: 37.29667, -108.41819). This mesa separates Prater Canyon and Morefield Canyon. There’s a longer trail system around the perimeter of Prater Ridge, composing the south loop and north loop, both labeled well. I would only be reaching the high point of Prater Ridge today, not doing the full loop. A slowly ascending hike leads from the trailhead up to a couple of switchbacks to overcome a small cliff band and gain the rim. Following the rim for a short time, there are some great views toward the San Juan Mountains in the distance. I reached the junction of the south and north loop, taking the north loop. The meandering hike continues up to the high point, where I looked down into Montezuma Valley and enjoyed the sunset. I’m sure the remainder of the loop is nice, but with fading daylight I decided to just turn back now that I’d reached the high point.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Point Lookout
8427 ft
587 rise
2
Prater Ridge
8418 ft
538 rise

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!

Starting along the Point Lookout Trial.
Starting along the Point Lookout Trial.
Ascending the well-maintained Point Lookout trail.
Ascending the well-maintained Point Lookout trail.
Nice views onto Mesa Verde.
Nice views onto Mesa Verde.
Higher up on the switchbacks.
Higher up on the switchbacks.
Along the ridge leading to Point Lookout.
Along the ridge leading to Point Lookout.
View along the ridge, the scenic road seen below.
View along the ridge, the scenic road seen below.
Point Lookout, view west.
Point Lookout, view west.
Point Lookout, view north toward the Mesa Verde National Park entrance road.
Point Lookout, view north toward the Mesa Verde National Park entrance road.
Point Lookout, view south.
Point Lookout, view south.
I re-parked and started up the Prater Ridge Trail.
I re-parked and started up the Prater Ridge Trail.
A junction, keep left.
A junction, keep left.
Ascending toward the cliff band ahead.
Ascending toward the cliff band ahead.
Ascending above the Morfield Campground.
Ascending above the Morfield Campground.
Image 13 from gallery
The trail overcomes the cliff band and gains the tim.
The trail overcomes the cliff band and gains the tim.
Point Lookout seen center.
Point Lookout seen center.
Along the rim, continuing along the Prater Ridge Trail.
Along the rim, continuing along the Prater Ridge Trail.
Junction. I took a right to stick to the north loop, which would lead to the high point.
Junction. I took a right to stick to the north loop, which would lead to the high point.
Ascending to Prater Ridge high point above.
Ascending to Prater Ridge high point above.
Nice views to the south.
Nice views to the south.
Prater Ridge summit, view toward Point Lookout.
Prater Ridge summit, view toward Point Lookout.
Prater Ridge summit, view west.
Prater Ridge summit, view west.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!