With Cleanup Work Complete, Mesa Verde National Park Finally Reopens

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK, Colo. (CBS4)- Mesa Verde National Park reopened Monday, a week later than most other national parks in the U.S. following the government shutdown. The reopening was delayed a week due to repairs that needed to be made inside the park to areas that were damaged while federal employees were absent.

Park employees returned to work on Dec. 28 after 35 days away due to the recent government shutdown but the park remained closed the public. Mesa Verde park staff needed an extra week of being closed to clean up rockfalls and fix the road and guardrails where they occurred.

Several rockfalls crossed the main park road and the safety of visitors couldn't be ensured without lengthy repairs.

Those repairs are now complete.