Hovenweep National Monument is land of beauty and culture, of sweeping desert horizon dotted with the remains of ancestral Puebloan villages. The towers of Hovenweep are a true testament to the skill and dedication of the stone masons who built them. Once home to over 2,500 people, Hovenweep includes six prehistoric villages built between A.D. 1200 and 1300. Explore a variety of structures, including multistory towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders. The construction and attention to detail will leave you marveling at the skill and motivation of the builders.

The towers of Hovenweep were built by ancestral Puebloans, a sedentary farming culture that occupied the Four Corners area from about A.D. 500 to A.D. 1300. Similarities in architecture, masonry and pottery styles indicate that the inhabitants of Hovenweep were closely associated with groups living at Mesa Verde and other nearby sites.

NIGHT SKY

Several of the structures and rock art panels in the monument seem to have been designed to mark major heavenly events such as the summer and winter solstices. While this is largely conjecture, the open skies of Hovenweep certainly draw one's attention, and fortunately for night sky enthusiast the night sky is about as dark today as it was 800 years ago.
In some areas it's possible to see up to 15,000 stars throughout the night. By contrast, in urban environments, you might only see fewer than 500 stars. Due to its remote location surrounded by the Navajo Reservation and BLM public lands, Hovenweep preserves a primordial dark sky largely unaltered.

​On July 1, 2014, the International Dark-Sky Association certified Hovenweep National Monument as the 17th International Dark Sky Park. Natural Bridges National Monument(opens in new tab), which is also in the area, was the Nation's first Dark Sky Park.

GETTING THERE FROM BLANDING:

Head south on US 191 approximately 15 miles, turn left off US 191 to UT 262 for 8 miles, turn left off UT 262 to County Road 5099/401 for 16 miles (passing Hatch Trading Post), turn left at Hovenweep sign for 6 miles and turn right to enter the park. 45 miles to Hovenweep. Click Here For Driving Directions(opens in new tab)