Services
Campgrounds
Hotels
Dining
Activities
Weather
  Park Information
Park Home
Plan Your Visit
History & Culture
For Teachers
For Kids
Management
Support Your Park
Site Index

Back to Main Page

QUICKLINKS:

Welcome to Hovenweep!

Hovenweep National Monument protects six prehistoric, Puebloan-era villages spread over a twenty-mile expanse of mesa tops and canyons along the Utah-Colorado border. Multi-storied towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders lead visitors to marvel at the skill and motivation of their builders. Hovenweep is noted for its solitude and undeveloped, natural character.

 
Visitors explore the Square Tower Group

Explore Hovenweep

The Square Tower Group is the primary contact facility with a visitor center, campground and interpretive trail. Other groups (or villages) include Cajon, Cutthroat Castle, Goodman Point, Hackberry, Holly and Horseshoe.
more...
 
Hovenweep Castle

History & Culture

Human habitation at Hovenweep dates to over 10,000 years ago when nomadic Paleoindians visited the Cajon Mesa to gather food and hunt game. These people used the area for centuries, following the seasonal weather patterns. By about A.D. 900, people started to settle at Hovenweep year-round.
more...
 
Outdoor Education at Hovenweep

Curriculum Materials

Canyon Country Outdoor Education, a cooperative venture between the National Park Service, local school districts and nonprofit organizations, leads school groups on field trips throughout the area. Educators can download curriculum materials for grades one through six.
more...
 
 

Write to

Hovenweep National Monument
McElmo Route
Cortez, CO 81321

Phone

Visitor Information
(970) 562-4282 ext. 10

Fax

(970) 562-4283

Climate

During spring (April through May) and fall (mid-September through October), high temperatures average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50 F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 F, making strenuous exercise difficult.
more...
Communities Surrounding Hovenweep National Monument
Note: The times listed below are approximate driving times to the park.
Aneth, UT (34 min. ) Pop. 598
Montezuma Creek, UT (38 min. ) Pop. 507
Pleasant View, CO (45 min. )
Yellow Jacket, CO (51 min. )
Cahone, CO (53 min. )
Lewis, CO (56 min. )
Bluff, UT (58 min. ) Pop. 4,700
Dove Creek, CO (1 hr.  3 min. ) Pop. 698
 Blanding, UT (1 hr.  5 min. ) Pop. 3,162
Dolores, CO (1 hr.  10 min. ) Pop. 857
Teec Nos Pos, AZ (1 hr.  12 min. ) Pop. 799
Cortez, CO (1 hr.  13 min. ) Pop. 7,977
Egnar, CO (1 hr.  19 min. )
Towaoc, CO (1 hr.  23 min. ) Pop. 1,097
Monticello, UT (1 hr.  30 min. ) Pop. 1,958