Most people are visiting Utah for either skiing or to experience the otherworldly landscapes of SE Utah, but did you know that there are some amazing ancient ruins sites in Utah? Hovenweep National Monument is one of the best places in Utah to see both ancient structures and be amazed by the landscape. Very near the Colorado border and in turn, near Mesa Verde National Park, Hovenweep National Monument is a fascinating collection of ancient structures set all around a beautiful box canyon.
Are you planning a Utah road trip and visiting Canyonlands National Park or heading to Northern Arizona? If so, then you need to be sure Hovenweep National Monument is on your travel plan. It’s a little off the beaten path, but it’s worth the short drive and setting a couple hours aside for. If you have any questions about visiting Hovenweep or exploring Southeast Utah, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’ve got tons of experience in the area and would love to share more!
Why Visit Hovenweep National Monument in Utah
For all the historic sites and ruins we visit, you’d think that they’d start to blend together or not feel as special, but that’s not the case. Southeast Utah is interesting because it’s not thought of as a place for historic ruins in the way that Mesa Verde in Colorado or even much of Arizona is, but places like Hovenweep National Monument really stand out.
When you visit Hovenweep, you are getting to explore more than a singular ruin site. Hovenweep is the remnants of a large community and as you explore it you can clearly see and understand how life in the canyon was some 700-1000 years ago. I think Hovenweep National Monument is most like Wupatki in Arizona. There is a clear plan to how the different structures are laid out and what their purposes were.
From the canyonside tower to the bastions built on rocky outcroppings, each building has a story that is visible. Yes, there are exhibits and interpretive maps to help understand the history, or what’s known or can be assumed, but then there’s also the side of personal interpretation of what you see. Our kids were trying to sort it all out as we explored, and seeing how they were able to transpose their understanding of society across the structures was really cool.
Tips for Visiting Hovenweep National Monument
Like with any outdoor space in Southern Utah or Arizona, the middle of the day is going to be the hottest time to visit Hovenweep National Monument. The heat really will have an impact on how you experience and enjoy the whole site. Starting at the small visitor center, the trail to navigate the ruins runs as a loop. There is no shade along the entire trail so it’s a hot experience. You’ll need to fill up your water bottles before you start on the trail, for sure.
When it comes to making Hovenweep National Monument worthwhile for education, take the time at the beginning and after you explore the ruins to read the exhibits and information about the ancestral Puebloan peoples. While there is a lot of mystery around what drove the Hovenweep site to be abandoned, there has been a lot of archeological and anthropological work done here, so this is one of the historic sites in Utah where you can actually get a good deal of information about the ruins you’re seeing. I think learning is always great, and places like Hovenweep National Monument are exceptional for understanding human history.
Being Prepared for Hovenweep in Summer or Winter
I love telling people to bring an umbrella when they’re visiting Utah and Arizona. Seriously, you might feel silly initially putting up a lil parasol, but you’ll thank me later, especially if you have kids. The Southeast Utah sun is hot and the air is dry. Keeping cool and hydrated is very important, both while you’re doing the hike around the Hovenweep National Monument ruins and when you’re back in your car cooling off.
If you’re visiting in winter, it’ll still be sunny, but it’ll also be super cold. Dress appropriately. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife at Hovenweep National Monument, but there were a good number of birds. Both for enjoying the birds AND for checking out the ruins across the canyon, having a small pair of binoculars or a telephoto lens is a great idea. I love being able to peer across distances to see cool things, living or not, so having that extra tool is worthwhile and you will indeed use it.
Getting to Hovenweep National Monument in Utah
Hovenweep National Monument is not in a convenient location at all, but it’s also not so far out there that you can’t visit in two hours or less. As you travel from Arches National Park down to Bluff and then onto Monument Valley in Arizona, you’ll be driving past Hovenweep. I suppose a lot of people will go by here on the way to Page, Arizona and Antelope Canyon or over to Mesa Verde National Park.
The drive to Hovenweep is only about 30 minutes from the main highway. There is plenty of parking when you arrive, there are nice bathrooms and if you’re there during business hours, you can stop into the visitor center too. There are some viewpoints and ruins that are wheelchair accessible, but the majority of the trail around the Hovenweep National Monument ruins is not either level or easy to navigate.
More Interesting Sites to Visit in Southeast Utah
Our family has had so many great trips through Utah and each time we return we fall in love a little more. Southeast Utah is unique in that it’s so heavily shaped and influenced by the Colorado River and Green River that anywhere you go, despite it being the desert, you’ll have water nearby. Kayaking in Utah, or rafting if you’re more adventurous, is on the table through much of the year, and hiking is always a great activity.
Here are our top picks for both unique stops to make as well as cool State and National Parks to explore as you travel through Southeastern UT:
- Canyonlands National Park – both the Island in the Sky and Needles districts
- Arches National Park – at least do a drive and a short hike
- Rafting on the Green River
- Visit Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument – incredible petroglyphs
- Goosenecks State Park – amazing views, EPIC!
- Edge of the Cedars State Park – great place to learn about ancient indigenous culture
- Goblin Valley State Park – completely otherworldly landscape
- Canyon of the Ancients National Monument – this is just across the Utah/Colorado border
- Monument Valley – just across the Utah/Arizona border
There are actually tons and tons of stops you can make if you’re doing a road trip through this part of the state or if you want to add this spur to the complete Utah National Parks road trip. The best time to adventure around in the Hovenweep / Southeast Utah area is in the spring, and you should have no problem accessing most sites. April and May are great to do this trip, and you might even see a little snow hanging around still.
Are you excited to visit Hovenweep National Monument and explore this part of Utah? I hope so, and I hope you learn lots as you visit the many natural and historic sites. SE Utah is really great to experience with kids because the activities and sights are so diverse, so I know you’ll enjoy the trip.
If you have any questions about traveling in Utah or the American Southwest, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help others plan unforgettable road trips!
