Visitor Center and Square Tower Group: 37.38582, -109.07537
Hovenweep Campground: 37.38303, -109.07118
Parking – Holly Group: 37.3999, -109.0403
Parking – Horseshoe and Hackberry Group: 37.40936, -109.03346
Parking – Cajon Group: 37.29842, -109.18356

Hovenweep National Monument Park Website

For more information about the park and the Visitor Center, please visit the above link.

Here is an extremely brief history of Hovenweep.  Hovenweep was home to over 2,500 people at the end of the year 1200s.  The people who built the large towers with impeccable architecture are called the Ancestral Pueblo.  These same people are responsible for building much of Mesa Verde.  Hovenweep is a Ute and Paiute word meaning “deserted valley” and was named by a photographer, William Jackson in 1874.  The park became protected by President Harding on March 2, 1923.

There are five groups or areas in Hovenweep: Square Tower, Holly, Horseshoe and Hackberry, Cajon, and Cutthroat Castle.  The only group that is not currently open to visitors is Cutthroat Castle.  The Hovenweep National Monument Superintendent closed Cutthroat Castle due to “physical security concerns.” To read more about this please visit the park website here.

Hovenweep National Monument is spread out in between Utah and Colorado.  The groups that are located in Utah are Cajon and Square Tower (where the Visitor Center is located too).  The groups that are located in Colorado are Holly, Horseshoe and Hackberry, and Cutthroat Castle.  You can conceivably visit all the groups in one day but it would be like visiting the Grand Canyon in one day: it’s sort of doable but you wouldn’t do it justice.

This amazing park doesn’t see many visitors which explains that there is no entrance fee to the park.  Some of the most basic rules of the park are: the trails open at sunrise and close and sunset so don’t be caught on the trails at night or you could get a ticket.  Do not touch or enter the structures or rock art.  Bring plenty of water and food while visiting the park – the Visitor Center only has water available and not food.  If you are hiking in warmer months you will need to watch out for snakes and bring bug repellent as the bugs can be absolutely awful in the summer.

Pets are allowed in the park including on the trails but they must be leashed.  Make sure you bring lots of water and food for your pet too!

Stop by the Visitor Center to fill up on your water bottles and get a map.  If you have any questions about the hikes or about the park you can speak to a ranger at the Visitor Center.  The Visitor Center is small but features a small gift shop, video about the park, flushing toilets, and drinking water.  You will also find the Hovenweep Campground nearby too.



Like I mentioned before, there are five ruins groups but only four are accessible currently.  Here are the groups and the hiking required to see all of the sights for each of those:

• Square Tower Group – 1.8 mile roundtrip hike (located in Utah)
• Cajon Group – .20 mile roundtrip hike (located in Utah)
• Holly Group – .30 mile roundtrip hike (located in Colorado)
• Horseshoe and Hackberry Group – 1.5 mile roundtrip hike (located in Colorado

Click on the pictures below to read more about each individual group!

The Visitor Center, located in Utah, is located in the same area as the Square Tower Group of ruins.  These are a must see!  This is the highest concentration of ruins in the park and the trails are pretty easy.  In fact, you could see almost all of the ruins right from the lookout point which is an easy hike directly south from the Visitor Center.  You can see many ruins here such as Hovenweep Castle, Square Tower, Twin Towers, and more!

Cajon Group, located in Utah, is kind of far away but still has some very impressive structures to be seen.

Holly Group, located in Colorado, is about a 20 minute drive from the Visitor Center.  If it has been rainy then you may need a high clearance vehicle to get to the trailhead as the mud may make things very tricky. 

This group of ruins is my favorite!   I love the towers and large structures at the cliff’s edge here.  If you are short on time then I suggest you visit Square Tower Group and also Holly Group!

Horseshoe and Hackberry Group, located in Colorado, offer a unique experience of seeing two separate groups of ruins.  The first is Horseshoe Tower and Horseshoe House.  Then, a little ways down the trail is the Hackberry Group.

If you want to extend your stay make sure you spend a night or two at the Hovenweep Campground!  It’s first-come first-served and make sure you bring some cash to pay for the campsites.  RVs are welcome but with some restrictions.  There are no showers but there are flushing toilets and even a spigot for drinking water.  Click on the picture below for our post for more campground information!