Ah Amenities

Now that we’ve got you hooked on Black Canyon of the Gunnison, there’s one other thing we should mention: All water must be trucked in from a town 14 miles away. This means vault toilets and no showers. Not even enough running water to wet a washcloth and get a sponge bath.

So we were thrilled to arrive at Mesa Verde. The more we explored, the more it seemed like Grand Teton; there’s no reason to ever leave the park. Showers were included with the $24.05 nightly tenting charge, they had a store which sold food basics and ice for our cooler, a coin-op laundry, and free wi-fi in the lobby of the lodge in the middle of the park. One of us went 52 consecutive hours in the same pair of underwear and was eager for a shower Monday morning. The all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast was forgettable, but nonetheless a nice break from our typical morning meal of pop tarts and breakfast bars.