Hovenweep National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument
McElmo Route
Cortez, Colorado 81321
Phone: 970-562-4282
FAX: 970-562-4284
The canyon and mesa country north of the San Juan River contains a number of archaeological sites where the ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians once lived. Today, round, square, and D-shaped towers at the heads of canyons are the most visible remains that mark the location of once-thriving communities. Though these structures have seen no human inhabitants in more than 700 years, they are still impressive.
The presence, today, of tall towers, tumbled piles of shaped stone, remains of multi-room pueblos, small cliff dwellings, pottery shards, and rock art scattered over the canyon rims and slopes leaves little doubt that a sizable population once lived in this rugged, yet beautiful, high desert landscape. Many Pueblo structures and nearby tower walls are still standing, even after seven centuries of weathering. Some walls still reach more than 20 feet in height though much of the exterior mortar has long since disappeared. Many walls are now piles of rubble.
Visitors to Hovenweep National Monument are able to walk along quiet, primitive trails and wonder what these communities must have been like so long ago, when hundreds, or perhaps even thousands, of people lived on this plateau.
Hovenweep, in the Ute/Paiute languages, means "deserted valley."
- See Monument News for current information.
| Area: | N/A | ||
| Elevation: | 5,233 feet. | ||
| Fees: | Free. See Monument Fees and Reservations for more details. | ||
| Hours: | Open year-round. The trail is open from sunrise to sunset. See Monument Operating Hours and Seasons for more details. | ||
| Visitor Center: | The Ranger Station is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed December 25. | ||
| Facilities: | Ranger station with interpretive exhibits, trails, bookstore, picnic tables, restrooms, drinking water, and ruins. | ||
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| Coordinates: | Map Coordinates (NAD83): 37 23.015N; 109 04.334W. | ||
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