Sport & Outdoor
Outdoor AdventureBears Ears National Monument
FreeExplore red rock canyons, Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and rock art across Cedar Mesa, Comb Ridge and Indian Creek.
Photo: Larry Lamsa, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
SightseeingHistory BuffOutdoor AdventureLocal Gem
Hovenweep National Monument
Square Tower Group visitor center, Utah and Colorado border · Blanding, UT
Why you should go…
Hovenweep protects six groups of Ancestral Puebloan villages spread along the Utah and Colorado border, built mostly between 1230 and 1275. You walk rim trails past multistory towers in square, oval, round and D shapes, some perched on boulders, including Hovenweep Castle and the Twin Towers. In 2014 it became the first International Dark Sky Park to span two states, and GPS can be unreliable, so bring a map.
- #national monument
- #ancestral puebloan ruins
- #hiking
- #dark sky park
- #archaeology
Good to know
General sightseeing guidance
Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.
The forecast is part of the ticket
Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.
Golden hour sells out first
Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.
Dress a layer warmer
It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.
Timed entry is common
Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.
What's around here?
The closest stops to Hovenweep National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance.
