Hovenweep National Monument, Archaeological site and nature reserve in San Juan and Montezuma Counties, United States.
The monument encompasses six ancient Puebloan villages spread across canyons and mesas along the Utah-Colorado border, featuring multi-story towers and intricate stone structures.
Native Americans inhabited this region from 8,000 BC, with Ancestral Puebloans constructing elaborate stone dwellings and water management systems between the 12th and 13th centuries.
The architectural remains display advanced masonry techniques through structures like Hovenweep Castle, Square Tower, and numerous residential buildings positioned near water sources.
Visitors can explore the ruins through a network of trails, with the Square Tower Group offering a 2-mile loop trail starting from the visitor center.
The monument holds International Dark Sky Park status, providing exceptional conditions for astronomical observation and celestial event viewing throughout the year.
Location: San Juan County
Location: Montezuma County
Inception: March 2, 1923
Operator: National Park Service
Website: https://nps.gov/hove
GPS coordinates: 37.38361,-109.06833
Latest update: May 27, 2025 08:43
The western United States protects some of North America's most diverse natural landscapes. From the layered canyons of Canyonlands in Utah to the white gypsum dunes of White Sands in New Mexico, this region spans multiple climate zones and geological formations. Visitors find national parks, Pueblo archaeological sites and natural phenomena that document millions of years of Earth's history.The collection includes the ruins of Mesa Verde, where Ancestral Pueblo communities built cliff dwellings into sandstone alcoves from the 6th century until the late 1200s. Dinosaur National Monument preserves one of the world's most significant fossil beds, with more than 1,500 exposed dinosaur bones. Colorado's Great Sand Dunes rise to 750 feet (229 meters), making them the tallest dunes in North America. Carlsbad Caverns extends through 30 miles (48 kilometers) of underground passages with more than 120 known caves.The region's geology appears in the 2,000-foot (610-meter) depths of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and the petrified tree trunks in Petrified Forest that date back more than 200 million years. Monument Valley presents sandstone formations rising 400 to 1,000 feet (122 to 305 meters) above the valley floor. Utah's Mystic Hot Springs feeds natural mineral pools at temperatures around 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit (71 to 82 degrees Celsius). Wolf Creek ski area records an average annual snowfall of 465 inches (11.4 meters).
The southwestern United States encompasses desert landscapes, sandstone formations and archaeological sites from several pre-Columbian cultures. The region spans Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado, featuring geological structures shaped over millions of years by wind and water erosion. National parks such as Canyonlands and Capitol Reef display canyons, mesas and rock spires in shades of red, orange and ochre. The area preserves evidence of the Ancestral Puebloans, who built cliff dwellings and communal structures between the 12th and 14th centuries. Sites like Bandelier National Monument and Gila Cliff Dwellings provide access to these habitations. Chaco Culture National Historical Park documents a pre-Hispanic trading center with multistory stone complexes. Petroglyphs at locations such as Three Rivers and the petrified trees of Petrified Forest National Park offer additional historical records. The Navajo Nation administers Monument Valley and the Navajo Zoo, while Hubbell Trading Post operates as a functioning 19th-century trading post. Volcanic features mark Sunset Crater and El Malpais, while White Sands covers more than 275 square miles (700 square kilometers) of gypsum dunes. Glen Canyon and the man-made Lake Cochiti provide water access in this largely arid region. Elevation differences range from the Organ Pipe Cactus Desert to Great Basin National Park with its ridges above 13,000 feet (3,900 meters).
Mesa Verde National Park
52.6 km
Four Corners Monument
42.9 km
Ute Mountain
27.9 km
McPhee Reservoir
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Lowry Pueblo
25.9 km
Anasazi Heritage Center
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Chimney Rock
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Mesa Verde Administrative District
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Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum
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Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum
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Old Cortez High School
43.1 km
Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company Flume No. 6
50.2 km
Montezuma Valley National Bank and Store Building
42.9 km
Long House
52 km
Kodak House
52.8 km
Far View Reservoir
52.4 km
Megalithic House
52.4 km
Far View House
52.6 km
Step House
51.5 km
Coyote Village
52.4 km
Far View Sites Complex
52.3 km
Pipe Shrine House
52.6 km
Far View Tower
52.5 km
Far View Visitor Center
52.4 km
Park Point Lookout
54.9 km
Step House Trail
51.5 km
Colorado Welcome Center at Cortez
44 km
Montezuma Valley Overlook
56.3 kmReviews
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