{"id":57513,"date":"2025-02-20T04:48:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-20T01:48:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gurkangenc.com\/?p=57513"},"modified":"2025-02-20T04:48:02","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T01:48:02","slug":"mesa-verde-is-the-top-national-park-in-the-u-s-for-cycling-travelers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gurkangenc.com\/en\/2025\/02\/mesa-verde-is-the-top-national-park-in-the-u-s-for-cycling-travelers\/","title":{"rendered":"Mesa Verde is the top national park in the U.S. for cycling travelers."},"content":{"rendered":"

Before entering Colorado, a short stop at the point known as “Four Corners Monument,” where the borders of four U.S. states, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona intersect.<\/p>\n

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They have built an area in the middle of the desert, just like you see in this photo. People travel for miles to take a picture at this exact spot. Around the meeting point, the local people have set up small businesses selling trinkets and souvenirs. If I remember correctly, the entrance fee to this area was over $20.<\/p>\n

Normally, I had planned to take a photo and move on, but I\u2019ll be meeting a cyclist I know from Turkey here.<\/p>\n

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The younger generation knows him by the nickname \u201cFast and Furious.\u201d \u0130smail \u00d6znam suddenly became popular in Turkey after crossing the Istanbul Bridge and the Marmaray Tunnel on a racing bike without police permission. Later, he had an accident due to speeding, broke a few bones, and switched from cycling to motorcycling, continuing his career on YouTube. From there, he eventually moved to the United States and now makes a living as a truck driver.<\/p>\n

\u0130smail: “Bro, I’m heading your way. Want to meet up?”<\/p>\n

Me: “Then let’s meet at the spot where the four state borders intersect. I’ll be waiting for you there.”<\/p>\n

I arrived at the location about an hour before him and chatted with local vendors. A Navajo woman gifted me a few bracelets. She told me she also owns a Harley-Davidson and loves traveling.<\/p>\n

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I listened to some of her stories. By the way, as I had mentioned before, Americans usually don\u2019t help strangers they see on the road. But while traveling this route, a Navajo man stopped me after dark when he saw me on the road and handed me a vest. It happened just as I was about to stop and set up my tent. When I told him I was staying next to the nearby structure for the night, he even brought me some food and snacks.<\/p>\n

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When I finally met up with \u0130smail, we gave each other a long hug. It felt like we had known each other for years. Since the weather was hot, I parked my bike in front of his truck.<\/p>\n

He had prepared some chicken in the morning before hitting the road and said, “Let’s dig in for lunch, bro.” So, we sat inside the truck and started chatting. After that, he did a short interview with me for his YouTube channel. I watched some videos he had filmed in the U.S. and read through the comments. He\u2019s a young man who has inspired many people about cycling through his channel.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, as I mentioned in my previous article, the ethical rules of media have changed with the rise of people filming everything with their phones. Now, everyone can publish whatever they want, however they want. (I had already shared my thoughts on this in my last piece.) Despite receiving heavy criticism, he keeps moving forward without paying attention to it. All I can say is, I wish him a smooth journey ahead.<\/p>\n

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We had left the area around dusk. Looking ahead, I saw nothing significant on the road for quite some time. Outside the park, there was a spacious area by the road where I could set up my tent. Perfect, I would spend the night there and continue my journey in the morning.<\/p>\n

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I had now entered the state of Colorado. Meanwhile, Ay\u015fe and Cem, whom I had met in Santa Fe, had taken their daughter along on a week-long vacation. They caught up with me right after I visited Mesa Verde National Park. Cem had been insisting that I had to go there.<\/p>\n

Cem: \u201cI don\u2019t know how you\u2019re going to climb it, G\u00fcrkan, but the park is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Me: \u201cWhat! A lot of climbing? Awesome, awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mesa Verde National Park was already going to be connected to my previous article because the Navajo settlements and Mesa Verde are closely related.<\/p>\n

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Mesa Verde National Park, United States<\/p>\n

I am not American, nor have I lived here. But I have read about the country\u2019s history and I know what its national parks have to offer. And I can confidently say this: Mesa Verde is unlike any other national park in the United States. For me, it\u2019s the most beautiful national park on the continent.<\/p>\n

When I said this, people who had lived in the U.S. for years and visited numerous national parks disagreed with me. But when I listed my reasons and asked if there was anything similar, they couldn\u2019t come up with an answer. So, let me explain why this place is truly unique:<\/p>\n