Greg the guide.

Did you know that the Knife Edge Trail used to be Knife Edge Road?

Knife Edge Road was one of the original roads into Mesa Verde National Park, and it certainly lived up to its name! While the Civilian Conservation Corps worked in the park from 1933-1942, several enrollees voiced their frustration at having to maintain Knife Edge Road. The road was in a constant state of repair, with landslides and car accidents occurring on a regular basis. Knife Edge Road closed in 1957 with the opening of the Morefield-Prater Tunnel in 1957, the tunnel park visitors drive through today.

You can still traverse the scenic beauty of the old park road by hiking the Knife Edge Trail. Although it is no longer a major thoroughfare, the steep cliff edges still give the NPS some trouble every now and then. In May 2025, a large rockslide blocked off the last quarter mile of the hike. Some things never change!

Image credit: NPS

Image description:
1 - In a black-and-white photograph, two men stand along a dirt cliffside road, a shiny car on one side, and another damaged and nearly driven off the cliff on the other, a team of horses approaching in the background, ca.1920.
2 - A large landslide of rocks and wood piled along a cliffside trail.

Beautiful day in the park.