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Submission
From Cortez, Colorado (42 miles) - Travel 2 miles south of Cortez on Highway 491 to County Road G / McElmo Canyon Road for 30 miles, turn right on County Road 401 for 4 miles, turn right on County Road 413/213 for 6 miles, turn right to enter park.
Good for a day trip or for very lightly visited overnight backpacking trails to other Native American sites in the area. The loop can be done by almost anyone. I would avoid the section that goes into the canyon for anyone who has trouble with up and down. You can go around it.
One of the best National Monument Visitor Centers/ Campsites I’ve been to. There are places to tent camp and for RV’s. I don’t think there are RV hookups. Bathroom is super clean. No showers. Drinking water at the campground but there’s a 5 gallon limit.
Rolled in on at 7pm Saturday night in late May and there were multiple campsites open. Campsites have a beautiful canopy, fire pit, sandy area for tents, and views of the mountains.
Rangers were super nice. Didn’t pay for my campsite because I didn’t have cash and they helped me pay inside the visitor center.
Hovenweep is a great but out of the way place to view prehistoric dwellings from about 800 years ago. A relatively flat loop trail takes you around a small ravine with remains of numerous buildings. The visitor center was closed when we visited on a Tuesday and it seems that the days it is open varies. The restrooms were open and they were nice with flush toilets and sinks with soap and water. Brochures and trail maps were available to guide your walk.
Didn't know what to expect after spending yesterday at Mesa Verde. Quite the drive to get to Hovenweep, but it was well worth it. Did the 2 mile loop hike from the visitor center and thoroughly enjoyed the hike and the visitor center. A very nice day trip.
It’s a nice place to visit. We ended up here because the Mesa Verde roads were closed due to snow.
Since it rained the day before, it was recommend to not complete the whole loop due to possible mud. The trail itself was not difficult at all and not very muddy.
They had a great little visitor center.
Lots of walkable trails spread throughout the park.
A little off the beaten path. Which is part of the draw and allure of the place. We enjoyed the drive in and out as there is soo much to see. Roads were good. The views awesome.
