Hovenweep also has five other ruins sites located nearby. This place was fascinating, with intricately built stone towers, some over 700 years old. Hovenweep National Monument consists of some clusters of ancestral puebloan ruins close to the Utah-Colorado state line. Location:  Southern Utah, Four-Corners area This trail is located by the visitor's center. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the Hovenweep Visitor Center, which contains maps, brochures, exhibits and other educational information. The remains of nearly thirty kivas (Puebloan ceremonial structures) have been discovered on the slopes of Little Ruin Canyon, and a variety of other structures are perched on the canyon rims, balanced on boulders and tucked under ledges. The Square Tower Loop was an excellent interpretive trail. Visitors aren’t allowed to touch or go inside any of the buildings, but they can walk close to many of them, and see all the details of how they were made. Take a trail to see Hovenweep's incredible stone structures and sweeping views. I strongly recommend going in the morning before the heat of the day sets in. Holly Group. This area can be hiked from the Visitor's Center via the Little Ruin Trail. Type: Easy loop The first thing on many hikers’ agendas is the Square Tower Group Loop Trail. The ranger told me that I could technically see all the sites in Hovenweep in a day but for right now I should hike around the Square Tower group of ruins and sites. Overnight stays were cheap at $15 a night, and the first-come-first-serve sites were easy to get in the off-season, (in fact, I was the only one there during my visit in January). Square Tower Group was one … (image: The ancient masonry buildings of Square Tower Village are perched on the rim and on a large boulder at the head of Ruin Canyon. Date Visited: January 26, 2019 And perhaps if you are in really great shape it is! The overlook … The trail leading to the ruins is well marked and easy to hike with only minor variations in elevation. To hike the Square Tower Group Loop Trail (level: easy) plan about 1.5 hours. If fact, they built a whole system of water control structures to irrigate the arid land around the canyon. It is also the only village with completely paved roads all the way in, (the other villages all require 4-while drive). All this aside, Hovenweep was an excellent place to visit. Portals in the castle appear to align sunlight each seasonal solstice and equinox. To increase water storage, a checkdam was built above the spring in order to slow storm runoff. The longest hike is a four mile trail (eight miles round-trip) that connects the Square Tower Unit with the Holly I spent a night in Hovenweep National Monument last January, checking out the amazing ancenstral Puebloan ruins there. Tower Point is a small section of trail on the north side of the canyon, between the Overlook and Hovenweep Castle. The Visitor Center was also close by, with visitor information and other services. After Hovenweep Castle, be sure to take the loop trail to Tower … left our dog and my mother in law in the car with the A/C. Although Hovenweep National Monument is largely known for the six groups of Ancestral Puebloan villages, there is … So much to see it was quite spectacular. Still, many questions remain. Ruin in Canyons of the Ancients NM, Hovenweep NM, CO. 1 • PLACE. The Square Tower Loop Trail. The Square Tower Ruins Campground is a first-come, first-served campground near the visitor center with 31 tent sites. The builders collected water from springs that seeped out of the canyon walls, and subsisted on corn that they grew around the outskirts of the village. Square Tower Loop Trail, Hovenweep National Monument Bluff. Of the six units of Hovenweep National Monument, the next most visited, after the main Square Tower ruins, are the Horseshoe/Hackberry and Holly sites, all in Colorado, and all dating from around 1300 AD. A moderately strenuous trail follows the canyon rim and offers excellent views of every structure. hikes are also possible at Square Tower including an accessible 300 yard sidewalk to a viewpoint overlooking a large portion of the canyon. Still, Hovenweep was a great stop, and I recommend. Many researchers, in fact, believe Hovenweep may have been a spiritual center for the people of the region. Mountains where you can still experience the simple joy of riding the trail, pitching your tent, and building a campfire. There is an option to take a trail into the canyon as well. Holly Petroglyph Panel. The most visited area (which also contains the most structures in one location) is named Square Tower. Most people spend one to two hours exploring the area. Start your visit at the Square Tower Group, the base camp for Hovenweep. We had already been to Mesa Verde and enjoyed … ... and Wah Wah. Download the Little Ruin Trail Guide for more information. I wanted to check these out too, but they required 4-wheel drive to get there, so I ended up settling for the Square Tower Group only. From there, a short drive will take you to the other villiages. The Square Tower trail is located in Hovenweep National Monument in southeast Utah. As mentioned previously, there is access to Little Ruin Canyon/Square Tower Group from the campground, but there is also a 4-mile one-way trail that leads to the Holly unit. Your heart rate will climb as you climb the trail stairs to the other side. Hovenweep Castle. Required fields are marked *. After Hovenweep Castle, be sure to take the loop trail to Tower … There are actually six different villages within the Hovenweep, but the most accessible is Square Tower Group. Also visible in the canyon is Square Tower. Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. A moderately strenuous trail follows the canyon rim and offers excellent views of every structure. hikes are also possible at Square Tower including an accessible 300 yard sidewalk to a viewpoint overlooking a large portion of … Season: Year-round in Self Guided Walks and Trails. We discovered that the Hovenweep National Monument (HNM) consists of a collection of several sites spread throughout many miles. The Square Tower site hosts the monuments Visitor Center and main facilities. Then, a little ways down the trail is the Hackberry Group. Showcasing the ruins of structures built between A.D. 500 and 1300, the Square Tower Loop Trail starts at the Canyon Overlook of the Hovenweep National Monument. The unique location and appearance of Square Tower fuels speculation that it was a ceremonial structure. It circles around the top of the canyon, passing by many ruins like Hovenweep Castle. Here at Hovenweep we're fashionably late to NPS Fashion Week. It’s not clear what all the buildings were used for, but some buildings may have been defense structures, possibly protecting water and food supplies. Hovenweep House. Hovenweep National Monument – General Information, Your email address will not be published. Hovenweep National Monument, Cortez Picture: Map of Square Tower Trail - Check out Tripadvisor members' 1,045 candid photos and videos of Hovenweep National Monument A nearby spring would have been an important resource for the inhabitants of Hovenweep. Tower Point is named for the remains of a tower at the point where a side canyon branches off of Little Ruin Canyon. “Cajun” group at Hovenweep National Monument. The Square Tower Loop was an excellent interpretive trail. Grab a walking stick if you want and fill up on water. Visitors aren’t allowed to touch or go inside any of the buildings, but they can walk close to many of them, and see all the details of how they were made. Hovenweep National Monument is composed of 6 Puebloan era villages that straddle the Colorado and Utah borders. In conjunction with the two massive villages on either side of the canyon (Hovenweep Castle and House), this area of the canyon seems to be set up to defend the spring. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Catch your breath, then stroll the rim and take time viewing these beautiful towers. It costs US$15 per night (as of September 2020). The injured Great Warrior God lay down to rest, fell asleep, and transformed into the mountain you see from Tower Point. Hovenweep 's incredible stone structures and picnic tables at each site, transformed. 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