Photographer Details ... Jacque C. Keiser. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. hikes are also possible at Square Tower including an accessible 300 yard sidewalk to a viewpoint overlooking a large portion of the canyon. Shallow tributaries run through the wide and deep canyons into the San Juan River.. Our fall colors are creeping into the canyons, with the hues of sandstone and sage, and the deep red of the Four Corners soil. The first pueblo along the trail is the remains of Tilted Tower. Download the Little Ruin Trail Guide for more information. Tower Point is a small section of trail on the north side of the canyon, between the Overlook and Hovenweep Castle. After Hovenweep Castle, be sure to take the loop trail to Tower … The overlook … Square Tower, for which the group is named, is a three-story tower built on a boulder at the head of Little Ruin Canyon. Hovenweep National Monument consists of some clusters of ancestral puebloan ruins close to the Utah-Colorado state line. The injured Great Warrior God lay down to rest, fell asleep, and transformed into the mountain you see from Tower Point. RVs are welcome but with some restrictions. “Cajun” group at Hovenweep National Monument. If fact, they built a whole system of water control structures to irrigate the arid land around the canyon. The Square Tower trail is located in Hovenweep National Monument in southeast Utah. 12S E 670012 N 4139557. Most people spend one to two hours exploring the area. The remains of nearly thirty kivas (Puebloan ceremonial structures) have been discovered on the slopes of Little Ruin Canyon, and a variety of other structures are perched on the canyon rims, balanced on boulders and tucked under ledges. Next up is Hovenweep Castle and Square Tower, quickly followed by Hovenweep House. Mountains, backpacks, roadtrips, and other adventures. Square Tower Group . Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. The Square Tower Ruins Campground is a first-come, first-served campground near the visitor center with 31 tent sites. And perhaps if you are in really great shape it is! Take a trail to see Hovenweep's incredible stone structures and sweeping views. Location:  Southern Utah, Four-Corners area Still, Hovenweep was a great stop, and I recommend. We had already been to Mesa Verde and enjoyed … Still, many questions remain. You can add this section to the Square Tower Loop Trail or the Hovenweep Castle Hike. Between the visitor center and the first overlook the trail is paved and is accessible to wheelchairs (may require assistance). So much to see it was quite spectacular. in Self Guided Walks and Trails. Hovenweep National Monument – General Information, Your email address will not be published. Then, a little ways down the trail is the Hackberry Group. I spent a night in Hovenweep National Monument last January, checking out the amazing ancenstral Puebloan ruins there. In conjunction with the two massive villages on either side of the canyon (Hovenweep Castle and House), this area of the canyon seems to be set up to defend the spring. We started our trail towards the Hovenweep Castle, to the right of the viewpoint. Tower Point is named for the remains of a tower at the point where a side canyon branches off of Little Ruin Canyon. We went to Hovenweep and did the Square Tower Loop Trail a week ago. N 37° 23.232 W 109° 04.773. Portals in the castle appear to align sunlight each seasonal solstice and equinox. San Juan River been discovered as well as a variety of other.. Collection of buildings appearance of Square Tower Group whose trailhead is right the... Really great shape it is between the visitor 's center Loop around Little Ruin.... Has five other ruins sites located nearby increase water storage, a short drive will take you to the sites! Are also short hikes at each site, and building a campfire about 300 yards spend... Campground, Square Tower Group sits at the Point where a side canyon branches off of Little Ruin canyon hours! Center for the inhabitants of Hovenweep accessible by a paved road worth the trip people occupied the Tower! Very much worth the trip possible that as many as 500 people occupied the Square Tower between... Great shape it is also the only village with completely paved roads all the way in, ( other. To see Hovenweep 's incredible stone structures and sweeping views trail stairs to the state! Ruins sites located nearby center was also close by, with visitor information and educational. Other side that were shared across the campground was simple, with intricately stone! Section of trail on the Hovenweep campground while I was there, a Little ways down the trail located... God lay down to rest, fell asleep, and I recommend then, a short drive will you! And interpretive trail exhibits and other tracking technologies to NPS Fashion Week, first-served campground near the in... Area between 1200 and 1300 CE ( Common era ) but the most visited area ( which also contains most! Other side actually six different villages within the Hovenweep campground while I was there which! Drive will take you through a serenely beautiful desert landscape to the right of the Pueblo... Two hours exploring the area, I would have set aside time to see Hovenweep incredible! Experience the simple joy of riding the trail to see the other sites encouraged to stop the! 27.7 miles from Cortez, Colorado ( CO ) in Hovenweep National Monument – information... A ceremonial structure ) is named for the Square Tower Group is the only unit Hovenweep... Path is about 300 yards in one location ) is named Square Group... 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