Bring your writing (fiction, non-fiction, memoir) to Mesa Verde National Park for a four-day retreat alongside the mesas and cliffs that offer a spectacular window into the past. Mesa Verde National Park, located west of Durango in southwest Colorado, is also a World Heritage Site and International Dark Sky Park where Ancestral Puebloan people lived for over 700 years.

Quiet outdoor spots with spectacular views abound. The park is home to over 700 species of wildlife. In its full fall garb, the park is a golden spectacle to behold. Solitude is easy to find. So is inspiration.

Writers will gather for breakfast and dinner in the Superintendent’s House, with its fine views of Spruce Tree Canyon. Daily offerings include discussions about writing, shared readings, shared meals, optional ranger-led dwelling tours, self-guided tours around the park, and plenty of time to write.

Writer and retreat host Mark Stevens will make himself available for one-on-one consultations to discuss any aspect of writing and the publishing business.

Space is limited to 10. Proceeds from the Mesa Verde Writing Retreat benefit the Mesa Verde Foundation.

Your Host

Your host is local Mancos resident and author Mark Stevens. The son of two librarians, Mark Stevens was raised in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and has worked as a reporter, as a national television news producer and in public relations. Mark Stevens is the author of No Lie Lasts Forever (Thomas & Mercer, 2025), The Fireballer (Lake Union, 2023) and The Allison Coil Mystery Series including Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire, and The Melancholy Howl. Trapline won the Colorado Book Award for Best Mystery. Mark has published short stories in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and Denver Noir (Akashic Books, 2022), among others. In 2016 and again in 2023, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year. Stevens has hosted the Rocky Mountain Writer podcast since 2015, with over 400 interviews with writers, editors, writing coaches, and literary agents. Stevens is represented by Josh Getzler of Hannigan-Getzler. Stevens has presented workshops to Rocky Mountain Mystery Writers of America, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and to other writing groups around Colorado. Stevens is also a member of the board for the Mesa Verde Foundation. More at www.writermarkstevens.com.

Accommodations

Registration includes three nights at Far View Lodge inside Mesa Verde National Park as well as three breakfasts and three dinners. All lodge rooms are non-smoking and feature private balconies, Wi-Fi, a mini fridge, and coffee maker. The lodge offers an electric vehicle charging station. Retreat attendees are welcome to bring spouses and partners, although retreat breakfasts and dinners are being planned only for writers. Dietary restrictions can be noted at checkout. 

Questions?

If you have questions about the retreat or would prefer to send a check for your registration fee, please email shannon@mesaverdefoundation.org or gives us a call at 303-321-3120.

If you have questions about the writing aspects of the retreat please email mark54.stevens@gmail.com