Established Camping
Hovenweep National Monument
About
National Park Service
Hovenweep National Monument
Overview
Hovenweep Campground is nestled within the beautiful, sweeping landscape of the Colorado Plateau in Southeast Utah, at an elevation of approximately 5300 ft. The campground is located alongside two converging canyons and is only 1/4 mile (.4km) from the park's visitor center. Stunning views of mountains, canyons, and sandstone ledges adorned with desert plants make for a spectacular camping experience!
Recreation
Hovenweep offers multiple hikes, with the most popular being the Square Tower Group's 2-mile (3.2km) walking loop. This hike has the densest population of ancestral Puebloan structures within Hovenweep and allows visitors to get within 5-10 feet of them, creating an intimate and humbling experience with fantastic opportunities for photography. For visitors seeking a longer hike, the Holly Trail is conveniently located at the back of the campground and is roughly 8 miles (12.9 km) round-trip, traversing through 2 slot canyons within Keely Canyon and leading visitors to Hovenweep's outlying site, Holly. Additional hikes to Hovenweep's remaining outlying sites are also available, but generally require a higher-clearance vehicle to access and are subject to variable road conditions. Visitors can also enjoy the majesty and vastness of the dark skies and glowing stars here at our certified International Dark Sky Park!
Facilities
Hovenweep Campground contains 31 campsites that are available for reservation. Ten sites are RV-specific (including 1 accessible site), while the remaining 21 sites have tent pads. Sites provide a wonderful opportunity for a variety of visitors to stay overnight in a peaceful national monument. The campground road is a paved, one-way loop with campsites located on the inner and outer sides, offering a variety of views for campers! Flush toilets are available, but there are no showers. Drinking water is available from May 1 - November 1 (water is available at the visitor center year-round). All campsites contain picnic tables and fire rings with grill grates. All but 4 campsites have shade structures over the picnice tables. The park does not have dump stations or any hook-ups for RVs. Firewood is not available at the campground. Trash, recycling bins, and a receptacle for pet waste bags are located by the restrooms.
Natural Features
The campground is forested with beautiful, established Utah Juniper trees along with many desert wildflowers and plants, dotting the landscape and offering vivid color to the surrounding sandstone ledges and canyons. Spring reveals the majesty of Veined Penstemon, painting our park with pinks, blues and purples, while Fall sparkles with yellow rabbit brush accents. The park is within an arid, high desert environment with hot summers and cold winters. Hovenweep is home to many species of wildlife, ranging from antelope ground squirrels, ravens, and songbirds to coyotes, jack rabbits and lizards. Many nights and mornings are filled with the calls and songs of our local wildlife! This area piques the interest of many wildlife viewers, birders, and artists as they pull inspiration from the natural beauty and welcoming peace of Hovenweep!
Nearby Attractions
Hovenweep is located roughly 45 miles from the nearest town with restaurants and shopping. The closest gas station is located 20 miles from the park, in Aneth, Utah. Our park is located next to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Canyons of the Ancients offers mountain biking/horseback riding trails, as well as archaeological sites and other areas of interest for visitors to explore. There are also multiple state, national, and tribal parks located within an hour or two's driving distance from Hovenweep.
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiAvailable
- VerizonFair
- AT&TAvailable
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- WiFi
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Water Hookups
- Big Rig Friendly
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)
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.
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.
Location
Hovenweep National Monument is located in Utah
Directions
Turn by turn directions from Cortez, Blanding, or Bluff can be found on the "Directions and Transportation" page of Hovenweep's website: https://www.nps.gov/hove/planyourvisit/directions.htm.
Address
Along the border between southeast Utah and southwest Colorado
Just north and west of Cortez, CO
Cortez, UT 81321
Coordinates
37.383203 N
109.070815 W