Housed in a 1909 historic building, the Cortez Cultural Center contains a wealth of information on archaeology and Native American culture. The Center’s Museum displays interpretive exhibits on the Basketmaker and Pueblo periods of the Ancestral Pueblo people. Also featured are displays from the Ute Mountain Ute, Pueblo, and Navajo tribes. Monthly art exhibits feature local and regional artists. A mural on the back of the building depicts a traditional pueblo and serves as a backdrop for Native American Dances which are held from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The outdoor plaza also features a Hogan, a traditional home of the Navajo people that visitors can enter and explore. The Center also owns Hawkins Preserve, a 122-acre natural and cultural preserve within the city of Cortez and open to the public year-round. Several trails throughout this natural desert setting give visitors the opportunity to see many diverse plant and animal species.

For hours and more information, please visit the Cortez Cultural Center.

How far is the Cortez Cultural Center from Ute Mountain Casino?

The Cortez Cultural Center is only 15 minutes away (~12 miles) from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel.

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The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum displays the culture and history of the Ancestral Pueblo people and the methods that modern archaeologists use to reveal the past. The museum preserves artifacts and records from excavations in the Four Corners area, one of the richest archaeological regions in the United States, and is also the headquarters for the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Our goal is to increase public awareness of archaeology and cultural resources in the Four Corners. Visitors planning to explore the monument should first stop at the Visitor Center.

For hours and more information, please visit the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center & Museum here.

How far is the Visitor Center from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel?

The Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum is only 30 minutes away (~23 miles) from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel.

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Come experience a trip back into time and witness a special Native American interpretation of the culturally diverse homelands of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Spend time in our incomparable Ute Mountain Tribal Park with one of their knowledgeable Native American Ute tour guides. Guides interpret Ute Indian History, Ute pictographs, geological land formations, and Ancestral Pueblo petroglyphs, artifacts, and dwellings. 

For more information, please visit the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park website.

How far is Ute Tribal Park from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel?

The Visitor Center for Ute Tribal Park is just a short 10-minute drive (~8 miles) from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel.

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The Four Corners area is named for the only location in the United States where four states meet, consisting of the southwestern corner of Colorado, the northwestern corner of New Mexico, the northeastern corner of Arizona, and the southeastern corner of Utah. Most of the Four Corners region is part of the semi-autonomous First Nations aboriginal peoples, which consist of the Ute, Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni tribes. The Four Corners Monument is located off US Highway 160, six miles from Teec Nos Pos, AZ.

Things to do at Four Corners Monument

Four Corners Monument is administered by the Navajo Nation. During your visit be sure to explore the vendor market where you can purchase native artwork directly from the Native American artisan. Shop for handmade jewelry and crafts and then enjoy delicious traditional foods.

Four Corners Monument Hours of Operation

Four Corners Monument is open year-round with the exception of all major holidays in accordance with the Navajo Nation. Please visit the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation website for the latest hours and information.

How far is Four Corners from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel?

The Four Corners Monument is only 30 minutes (28 miles) from Ute Mountain Casino Hotel. Four Corners is located in a rural area with limited services and no accommodations which make Ute Mountain Casino Hotel the perfect place to stay while you visit the region.

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On June 29, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park to “preserve the works of man,” the first national park of its kind. Today, the continued conservation of both cultural and natural resources is the focus of the park’s research and resource management staff.

Hundreds of Cliff Dwellings

Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, is a World Heritage Site and offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. The park protects nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. Click here for information on visiting Mesa Verde National Park.

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Monument Valley is located on the Arizona-Utah state line, near the Four Corners area and has been the setting for more Western movies than any other site in the United States. The Valley features crimson mesas and surreal sandstone towers that reach heights of 1,000 feet and is one of the most photographed places on earth. Visitors may pay an access fee and drive the 2-3 hour trip through the park on a 17-mile dirt road. Parts of Monument Valley are accessible only by guided jeep tours, such as Mystery Valley and Hunts Mesa.

Hike the Wildcat Trail

The Wildcat Trail is the only hiking trail inside the Tribal Park that visitors can hike unescorted. Horseback rides are also available from various establishments both inside the park and in the general Monument Valley area, and rates vary widely depending on the length of the ride. Additionally, hot air balloon flights are available May 1 through October 31. Monument Valley is part of the Navajo Nation Reservation and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163.

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