With changing colors and cool autumn temperatures, when would be a better time to experience Mesa Verde National Park’s treasure trove of Ancestral Puebloan ruins? The third annual Bike and Hike on Wetherill Mesa last Saturday welcomed folks to freely explore via foot and bike some of the park’s main attractions along the 5.5 mile Tram Road. Certain sites of Wetherill are restricted to ranger-guided tours, with the mesa being closed entirely come Labor Day, making for a uniquely intimate opportunity to visit this special area. Here’s a look:

• 

  A ranger provides park-goers with a history lesson at Mesa Verde’s famous Long House Ruin.

• 

  The scrubby southern slopes of Mesa Verde are known for putting on a darn good show come mid-September.

• 

  Barbara Shafer and granddaughter Allie Elliot lead the way down the Tram Road on Wetherill Mesa, which is typically closed to hikers.

• 

  Gnarled snags from past wildfires awash in a sea of reds, yellows and greens.

• 

  Bicycles lean against a wooden fence at the Long House Trailhead.