Hovenweep National Monument

Hovenweep National Monument showcases some of the finest masonry of any Ancestral Puebloan sites, in particular the Square Tower Group, Hovenweep Castle, and other dwellings and structures of Little Ruin Canyon. These structures are a part of larger residential complexes being built in the 12th and 13th centuries that include infrastructure such as dams and reservoirs in addition to the more complex 3 story towers built atop the uneven foundations of the rock slabs along the canyon rim. This and other evidence points to an increasingly organized social structure and centralized planning among the inhabitants of the valley.

Watching restoration experts in action:

In addition to hiking the 2 mile trail around the rim of Little Ruin Canyon we also drove out to outlier village that contains the Horseshoe and Hackleberry Ruins believed to have housed nearly a hundred people.