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Established Camping

Hovenweep National Monument

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Hovenweep National Monument, near Cortez, Colorado, is a unique campground that offers a peaceful escape surrounded by stunning landscapes and ancient ruins. With designated sites that include picnic tables and fire pits, it’s a great place to unwind and soak in the beauty of the area.

The campground is known for its clean facilities, including well-maintained restrooms and easy access to drinking water. Visitors have noted the lovely views, especially at sunset, and the quiet atmosphere that allows for a truly relaxing experience. One camper remarked, “The campground was designed as a tent campground but there are some sites that a van or small trailers RVs will fit,” making it accessible for various camping setups.

For those eager to explore, Hovenweep offers a range of hiking opportunities, with trails leading to fascinating ancient structures. The area is also recognized as a Dark Sky Park, making it perfect for stargazing on clear nights. Campers have shared that the silence is profound, with the occasional coyote call adding to the ambiance.

While amenities are limited—no showers or electric hookups—many appreciate the simplicity and natural beauty of the campground. It’s a first-come, first-served location, so arriving early is recommended, especially during peak season. Whether you’re here for a night or planning to linger a bit longer, Hovenweep National Monument provides a memorable camping experience.

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Location

Hovenweep National Monument is located in Utah

Detail location of campground

Directions

Turn by turn directions from Cortez, Blanding, or Bluff can be found on the Directions and Transportation page of Hovenweep's website.

Coordinates

37.383203 N
109.070815 W

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Detours Nearby

LOCAL FAVORITES PRESENTED BYToyota Trucks
Cannonball Mesa

Cannonball Mesa

30 min away

Sand Canyon

Sand Canyon

58 min away

Drive Time

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Connectivity

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  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile
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  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 9 users
    Last on 4/6/25
  • signal strength bars
    AT&TLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 1 user

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • Trash
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • WiFi
  • Drinking Water
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

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Reviews

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59%
34%
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4.5

out of 5

12 Reviews

Reviewed Mar. 6, 2025

Quiet in a good way

Beautiful views of Sleeping Ute from the sites. Clean bathrooms with flushable toilets. Level parking spot with tent pads and shade covered tables at each site

Site20
Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Nicole V., March 6, 2025
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Nicole V., March 6, 2025
Reviewed Sep. 29, 2024

A treasure! Interesting place and lovely campsite

Hovenweep is a national monument with small but modern quiet campgrounds. The dark skies for amazing stars are spectacular. While they do not have showers, their bathrooms were clean and convenient to the loop of campsites. It was quiet and the rangers were friendly and warm. The Hovenweep monument archeological treasures are well worth scheduling a few hours to hike and visit. There are several ancient structures on the site (a small canyon) and the hikes are short and sooooo worth doing.

Site26
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Carol B., September 29, 2024
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Carol B., September 29, 2024
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Carol B., September 29, 2024
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Mar. 6, 2024

Quiet solitude

Arrived quite late in the afternoon, just in time to walk around the site and head to the campgrounds, to find out I was the only one staying here tonight: absolute silence! Bathrooms were open and clean, water taps running, but no water outside to fill the RV water tanks (had to go to Visitor center)

Site31
Month of VisitMarch
Reviewed Oct. 24, 2021

Clean, calm and beautiful

This is a great campsite. We came across it leaving Cortez and realized that we were losing daylight. It was about 40 minutes from Cortez and we were lucky to find it. There are about 30 sites with sand beds, covered tables, and fire pits. Truly a beautiful spot for $15/night. It was very safe and you could hear the coyotes at night. The grounds and bathrooms were clean and there were paths leading to the restrooms from each campsite. Unfortunately, we arrived on a full moon night so couldn’t stargaze but it would be incredible! Keep in mind, this is a first come first serve campground so I’d suggest arriving earlier especially no moon nights during peak season.

Site16
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Grace , October 24, 2021
Reviewed May. 11, 2021

Stunning Surprise

Traveling in Mercedes Sprinter camper. Set a little away from the bigger attractions but well worth the visit, stunning views and extremely clean and beautifully landscaped. Probably not much room for the larger RV's. $15 per night. We were told by a fellow traveller that its never full and we only spotted it by mistake on our way to Canyonlands. Just off on a hike which looks interesting too.

Site15
Month of VisitMay
Reviewed Mar. 31, 2021

Peace

Arrived early afternoon and visitor center was closed. Their hours are 0900 to 1200 hours. We drove on to the campground, drove around to pick our site. The campground was designed as a tent campground but there are some sites that a van or small trailers RVs will fit. Our site had a fire pit, picnic table with a cover. Fairly level site, amazing view. We can’t see any neighbors. This is a first come first serve. Once we picked our site we went to the kiosk. Parking was $14 or with a pass it was $7. Nice flush toilets, clean, toilet paper and hand soap with air dryers. Outside bathroom are containers for recycle, etc. that was a nice surprise. At Welcome Center you may get up to five gallons of water per person in your party per day. Cell service with Verizon was two to three bars sitting at picnic table. Haven’t tried the wee boost yet.

  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by N I., March 31, 2021
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by N I., March 31, 2021
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by N I., March 31, 2021
Reviewed Nov. 16, 2020

Efficient

A pretty typical nartional park campground - not many trees - small spaces right off the path. However, the bathrooms are clean and the walk to the walk to the monument is short. I love Hovenweep and was thrilled to have the opportunity to spend the night - giving me the opportunity to photograph both the sunrise and sunset.

Reviewed Oct. 28, 2018

Great little campground!

Many roads into area, all narrow, winding and potholed. Arrive well before dark as roads are also full of livestock. Clean bathroom but no showers. Lovely views all around. Dark sky activities in summer. Shelters and fire rings at all spots as well as nice tent pads. Some rv only spots. Water inside visitor center, pump out front didn't work. Free admission to Monument, $15 bucks to camp. Improvements to water and infrastructure in progress. Fees for admission coming in May 2019.

  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Mary C., October 28, 2018
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Mary C., October 28, 2018
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Mary C., October 28, 2018
Reviewed Aug. 15, 2018

Newly remodeled and excellent modern campground

After seeing photos of the beautiful modern shade structures in a friend’s Facebook post, I knew that Hovenweep was a camping spot I should keep on my list of possibilities. Sure enough it was truly lovely and very clean. The remodel allowed for large sage bushes to remain between the level gravel camping pads so that despite the lack or large trees in this region there is still a sense of privacy between sites. The modern shade structures provide a great way to string up a lantern for your late night or a way to tie your hammock up as well. The position of the campsite on the bluff of the canyon provided a great view of the sunset as well. Clean and cared for restrooms are just a close walk on well marked paths. Highly recommend this campground. Hovenweep is a really special place!

Month of VisitApril
Reviewed May. 29, 2018

Middle of nowhere but worth it!

31 sites - arrived at 1 pm at the end of May and had many empty sites to choose from. The campground is only about 1/3 full at almost 6 pm. If you want a shower, this campground is not for you but I don't base my rating on shower availability. There is potable water, a clean bathroom with flush toilets, level campsites and beautiful views. That's all I need! After all, it's camping.

Several sites are reserved for RVs. We took one for our teardrop but could have used one of the sites with a tent pad. A campervan or small trailer could pull in the parking area for some of the tent sites. Tent pads are mostly dirt with a little bit of crushed rock.

This is a Dark Sky Park but there are lots of those in Utah.

Site2
Month of VisitMay
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Mary S., May 29, 2018
  • Review photo of Hovenweep National Monument by Mary S., May 29, 2018
Reviewed Jun. 11, 2017

Comfortable with Great Sky Views and Many Ruins

At first glance, Hovenweep's campground seems almost barren and sun-scorched, perched as it is on a sagebrush mesa with few trees. But settle into your campsite, each with it own sunshade, and you will find yourself enjoying the sweeping view over canyons to Sleeping Ute Mountain. A cool breeze will come up, and then the stars start to appear, and they don't stop. This is the place to be for the Perseid Meteor Shower in August.

The ruins can be enjoyed on nice 1- to 2-mile stroll around the canyon rim. Or, you can be adventurous and hike 3-4 miles to several distant ruin groups along the pinon-topped mesa. All you will hear is silence, deep relaxing silence, and maybe a coyote or two.

The visitor center is especially nice, with a great selection of books about the Southwest. You might have planned to stay just one night, but you could find yourself lingering for a few more.

Also, the campground road is paved, as are the parking areas for each site, which is good news for RVs. And the sites are nicely spaced, with sunshades and picnic tables.

SiteClose to the entrance
Month of VisitAugust

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hovenweep National Monument have RV hookups?

According to TheDyrt.com, Hovenweep National Monument has water hookups.

What is the max vehicle length at Hovenweep National Monument?

Hovenweep National Monument allows vehicles up to 58 feet.

Are fires allowed at Hovenweep National Monument?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Hovenweep National Monument, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Hovenweep National Monument have wifi?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Hovenweep National Monument does have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Hovenweep National Monument?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is some coverage for AT&T, no coverage for T-Mobile, and some coverage for Verizon.

How hard is it to get a campsite at Hovenweep National Monument?

Some campers book as far as 6 months in advance, so on high-demand weekends it can be very difficult to get a campsite at Hovenweep National Monument. If you want to get a last-minute campsite at Hovenweep National Monument, try setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts

Why is it so hard to get a campsite at Hovenweep National Monument?

There are 31 campsites at Hovenweep National Monument and over 80 million Americans who camp! Try snagging a cancellation by setting up a text message Alert atTheDyrt.com/alerts