Square Tower Group Hovenweep National Monument, Utah

Square Tower Group – Hovenweep National Monument, Utah

The Trek Details

The Trek in a snapshot

Location: Hovenweep National Monument, Southeastern Utah
Managing Agency: National Park Service
Pets: Allowed on leash in parts of the park
Fees: No entrance fees to Hovenweep National Monument
Restrooms: Yes at Visitor Center
Camping: Allowed at Square Tower Campground. There are fees associated with camping at Hovenweep
Trail Condition: Paved path for part of the trail then switches to dirt and gravel. ADA accessible to Stronghold House. The trail goes down into the wash then back up the other side. There are numerous stairs to aid you
Distance: 1.8 miles roundtrip if you do the full loop trail
Time Required: 1-2 hours
Sights: Many incredibly built stone structures
Best Season: All
Water Info: Bring 1-2 liters of water on this hike
Parking Elevation: 5249 ft
Summit Elevation: Varies
Elevation Difference: Varies
Trek Planner Maps

Trail Map

GPS Coordinates

Visitor Center: 37.38571, -109.07537
Stronghold House: 37.38333, -109.07573
Twin Towers: 37.38318, -109.077
Eroded Boulder House: 37.38337, -109.07715
Rim Rock House: 37.3833, -109.07749
Hovenweep House: 37.38588, -109.08135
Checkdam: 37.38636, -109.08123
Square Tower: 37.38585, -109.08102
Hovenweep Castle: 37.38592, -109.08055
Tower Point: 37.3841, -109.078
Unit Type House: 37.38408, -109.07693

Experience. Discover. Explore.

The Trail

Follow along on our adventure then go out on your own!

Be a responsible explorer

Photography note:  As a photographer, I was really hoping to take some night photos of all the ruins during my visit.  This is apparently not allowed unless you have a special permit which I didn’t know I needed until I got there.  Permits cost $100 and may take up to 15 business days to process!  You must fill out Form 10-930 (see link for form), send payment, and send your form to the Filming Permits Coordinator in Moab Utah.  For more information about this please visit:  https://www.nps.gov/hove/planyourvisit/night-photography.htm

Hovenweep National Monument is a place I have been trying to go to for years and finally just decided to drive down there one week to explore it all!  I wasn’t sure what to expect besides some amazing ruins and I wasn’t disappointed at what I discovered!

Hovenweep is a Ute and Piute mix word meaning “deserted valley.”  These structures appear to have been created around the years 1230 to 1275 by a people called the Ancestral Pueblo.

For more detailed information about the history of the Square Tower Group please take a look at the National Park Square Tower page: https://www.nps.gov/hove/planyourvisit/squaretower.htm



Hovenweep Visitor Center

Most of Hovenweep is located in a seldom visited part of southeast Utah.  Part of this monument is located in Colorado but most of the sites are in Utah including the Visitor Center and campground.  Hovenweep was designated as a national monument in 1923.

I arrived in Hovenweep at about noon time and walked right in to the Visitor Center to look at a map.  A helpful ranger greeted me and answered all my questions and provided me with some great ideas for hikes.  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.  I took her advice and set out on the trailhead for the Square Tower Group whose trailhead is right behind the Visitor Center.

Grab a walking stick if you want and fill up on water.

You can borrow a walking stick if you’d like

From the Visitor Center you will walk about 900 feet until the first ruins but you will pass by many plants and trees that are marked with information.  I learned about a few bushes that I never knew the name to!  This first portion of the trail is on a paved path so if you are using a wheelchair or have mobility issues you will have no problem accessing and seeing most of these incredible ruins!



The first ruins you come to will be the Stronghold House.  It’s named due to the house being built like a fortress on a boulder that is away from the cliff edge.  It would take some effort to get to it.  You can see most of the ruins from up above but I highly encourage you to do the Rim Trail Loop Trail.  If you do the Rim Trail you will get to see all of the ruins from different angles.  Many of the ruins are better seen from across the little valley.  First, look across the valley at Twin Towers.  Look below the towers to see a granary!  Also, look at Eroded Boulder house and see how there is a house inside of the boulder!

Eroded Boulder House
Twin Towers

After you see the Stronghold House, you can either take a left or right and end up at the same place.  I took a left to begin this hike.  This is where the paved portion ends.

The trail winds down below in the valley and then pops back up on the other side.  It really isn’t a difficult trail and I found I was sweating not so much from the physical exertion, but from the heat of the sun.  So, even though it’s about a 1.8 mile hike roundtrip from the Visitor Center, it is fairly easy to do!



Stronghold house
Stronghold House

Once you get up on the other side you will come to the Twin Towers.  These towers are literally built right at the edge.  Look closely at all the detail and the amount of work it took to put these structures together.  Each stone was meticulously and deliberately placed to make these towers.  There are small doors to go inside but the Park Service doesn’t allow people to go inside.  In fact, the Park Service keeps you a nice distance away from the structures because they really are unstable and they don’t want people messing with them of course.




Twin Towers

Twin Towers

The next structure is Eroded Boulder House below Twin Towers.  You can’t really see the Eroded Boulder House from here but you can kind of see the sides of it.

Eroded Boulder House

If you keep hiking on the trail you will come to Rim Rock House.  This one may not have been used as a residence.  There are many holes around the building and their purpose is unknown.  Look below Rim Rock and you will see Round Tower.


Rim Rock House

Round Tower
Rim Rock House

At the end of the canyon before the trail comes back, is the Hovenweep House.  You can also get some great views of Hovenweep Castle across the valley.

Hovenweep Castle



Hovenweep House
Hovenweep House
Hovenweep Castle
Hovenweep Castle

Near Hovenweep House and located in a wash, you will find a checkdam.  A checkdam was used to keep as much water as possible through the use of piles of rocks and dirt at a choke point.  The ancient peoples of this area were farmers and even though this is a very dry desert, there are sources of water through seeps and cracks in the sandstone walls.  Water was used not only to grow crops but to create a type of mortar to cement rocks into place to create these magnificent structures.

Down below you can see the tower for which this group of ruins is named after: Square Tower.  You would think that this two story building would be better suited for on top of the canyon and not below in it.


Square Tower
Square Tower
Square Tower

Have you noticed by now that these buildings are of exceptional craftsmanship?  Much thought went into the build of each one and even though they are falling apart now, they were probably quite the sight to see when they were actually being used.



The biggest structure is Hovenweep Castle.  This structure wasn’t actually a castle for any kind of royalty but it was a large space for gathering and living.  According to the Visitor Center literature, this canyon had 100 to 150 people living in it.

Hovenweep Castle
Hovenweep Castle
Hovenweep Castle




You can hike to Tower Point to see a crumbled tower or you can hike back to Stronghold House.  I hiked to see Tower Point and saw remnants of two towers.

Tower Point

You will circle back around to Unit Type House.  This house has a kiva and a couple of rooms.

Unit Type House

Since I didn’t have a permit to take night photos I came back just before sunset and before the trails close.





Personal Thoughts

Personal Thoughts

What an incredible place! Seeing these ruins up close was a real treat for me! I would love to come back and explore some more the special buildings. This is a must do if you visit Hovenweep!

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