National park
National monument · Eastern Utah
Hovenweep National Monument
Stone towers built by Ancestral Puebloans more than 700 years ago, perched on canyon rims along the Utah–Colorado line. Remote, quiet and remarkable.
Photo: dwhartwig · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Hovenweep protects six groups of Ancestral Puebloan villages built between about A.D. 1200 and 1300, known for their towers: square, round, oval and D-shaped structures of carefully fitted stone set on boulders and canyon rims. Archaeologists still debate their purpose, which may have included defense, storage, ceremony and watching the sky.
The Square Tower Group, beside the visitor center, is the place to start. A two-mile loop circles Little Ruin Canyon past Hovenweep Castle, Twin Towers and Square Tower, with views of Sleeping Ute Mountain to the east. Other groups, like Holly and Cajon, are reached by dirt roads.
Hovenweep sees a fraction of Mesa Verde’s visitors. You may have the canyon to yourself, and the night sky is outstanding.
Don't miss
- Square Tower GroupA two-mile rim loop past the monument’s best-preserved towers.
- Hovenweep CastleA multi-story structure built on the canyon rim, with walls still standing.
- Twin TowersTwo adjoining towers with dozens of rooms, built on a single sandstone outcrop.
- Holly GroupTowers built on boulders in a quieter part of the monument.
Good to know
- There are no services nearby. Bring food, water and fuel from Bluff, Blanding or Cortez.
- Stay on trails and do not climb on walls; the structures are fragile.
- Some outlying units are on rough dirt roads that become impassable when wet.