Hovenweep National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. On the map, it sits 23 mi northwest of Towaoc. Management falls to the National Park Service. 27K people visited in 2025.
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A national monument, 23 mi northwest of Towaoc
May is the busiest month
May averages about 4,815 visitors, 12.6 times January. When to go ↓
Plan where you’ll sleep
The nearest town with many places to stay is Cortez, 28 miles east. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May and Sep
May and September are the mild months, with highs of 74–80°. When to go ↓
Established in 1923
Hovenweep National Monument dates from 1923 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The busy season and the weather
Crowds at Hovenweep rise and fall through the year, as below.
Hovenweep National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument is located on land in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah, between Cortez, Colorado and Blanding, Utah on the Cajon Mesa of the Great Sage Plain. Shallow tributaries run through the wide and deep canyons into the San Juan River.
Although Hovenweep National Monument is largely known for the six groups of Ancestral Puebloan villages and its kiva, there is evidence of occupation by hunter-gatherers from 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. until about AD 200. Later, a succession of early puebloan cultures settled in the area and remained until the 14th century.
- Type
- National Monument
- Established
- 1923
- Area
- 785 acres
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1966) · International Dark Sky Park (2014)
- Wikipedia readers
- 13K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/hove
The practical side
- Private Vehicle$20
- Motorcycle$15
- Per Person$10
Staying near Hovenweep National Monument
Rooms are nearest in Cortez (27) and Blanding (14).
Cortez
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
9,126 people
28 mi east of Hovenweep Visitor Center · 9 mi to the park
Bluff
252 people · 27% vacation homes
29 mi west of Hovenweep Visitor Center · 23 mi to the park
Compare 7 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cortez | 28 mi east | 40 min | 27 17 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 4 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 9,126 | $273K | D |
| Blanding | 29 mi northwest | 45 min | 14 6 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,199 | $306K | — |
| Bluff 27% vacation homes | 29 mi west | 45 min | 12 2 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 252 | $402K | — |
| Dolores | 32 mi east | 50 min | 10 2 hotels · 2 motels · 1 hostel · 2 campgrounds · 3 RV parks | 933 | $308K | — |
| Monticello | 36 mi northwest | 55 min | 10 2 hotels · 4 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 RV parks | 1,737 | $301K | — |
| Towaoc | 23 mi southeast | 35 min | 1 1 RV park | 1,078 | $426K | — |
| Dove Creek | 28 mi north | 40 min | 1 1 hotel | 664 | $150K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Other places close by
More places people know lie within 66 miles.
Big draw133 mi National ParkMesa Verde National Park463K visitors a year
227 mi LandmarkFour Corners Monument
50 mi MountainShiprock
336 mi Ancient siteCliff Palace
44 mi Park & preserveCanyons of the Ancients National Monument
52 mi Park & preserveBears Ears National Monument
66 mi National ParkCanyonlands National Park796K visitors a year
66 mi Scenic railwayDurango and Silverton Narrow Gauge RailroadPhoto credits
Mesa Verde National Park: Elaine from Sheffield, England, CC BY 2.0 · Four Corners Monument: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shiprock: Bowie Snodgrass, CC BY 2.0 · Cliff Palace: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Bureau of Land Management, Public domain · Bears Ears National Monument: U.S. Geological Surey, Public domain · Canyonlands National Park: Phil Armitage, Public domain · Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad: pixelFire, CC BY-SA 3.0
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26,616 people came in 2025
See how visits changed from 2016 to 2025.
Your questions on Hovenweep
What town is Hovenweep National Monument near?
Towaoc, CO, about 23 miles southeast.
When is the best time to visit Hovenweep National Monument?
May and September, with highs of 74–80°. May is the busiest month (about 4,815 visitors).
How many people visit Hovenweep National Monument each year?
26,616 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 42,862, set in 2016.
What is the closest airport to Hovenweep National Monument?
Cortez Municipal (CEZ), about 25 miles away. The nearest big hub is Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ), about 213 miles.
Where should I stay near Hovenweep National Monument?
Cortez (28 mi, 27 places to stay), Blanding (29 mi, 14 places to stay) and Bluff (29 mi, 12 places to stay).
Locals’ advice in Towaoc
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Towaoc’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.