Hovenweep Campground — Hovenweep National Monument

Hovenweep Campground sits beside the Square Tower unit on the Utah-Colorado line, about 31 sites tucked into piñon and juniper on a mesa top. It’s a different kind of camp. You wake up a short walk from 800-year-old stone towers perched on canyon edges and sleep under some of the darkest skies in the Four Corners. Sites are basic and spaced out, and the vibe is quiet. Most folks are passing through between Bluff, Blanding and Cortez. Pit-style toilets and a seasonal water supply are the norm, so haul your own water and verify ahead what’s running.

Access is easy on paved and good graded roads from Cortez, Blanding or Bluff, though the back roads from the Utah side get slick and nasty after rain. Summer is hot with little shade. Spring and fall are the sweet spots. Sites have been first-come, first-served, but check the NPS page before you roll in. Pack out your trash, stay on the trails around the ruins, and leave the walls alone. Have a dirty day.

Camp beside 800-year-old canyon-rim towers