Hovenweep … aka Deserted Valley

From the Lowry Monument, we followed the back roads for about 21 miles to cross the state line between Colorado and Utah.

Our destination … the Hovenweep National Monument. The site was established in 1923 to preserve some of the finest examples of ancestral Puebloan masonry found anywhere. However, it was given its name — which means deserted valley in the Paiute and Ute language — in 1874.

This national monument consists of six units that straddle the Colorado-Utah state line. On our way, in fact, we’d planned to visit at least one of the units in Colorado, but the side road was wet and muddy, with deep ruts that we didn’t want to negotiate. So, we focused on the Square Tower Unit in Utah instead.

After checking in at the Visitor Center, we headed down the path to the overlook, which is the starting point for the Little Ruin Trail … a loop of just under 2.5 miles. It was fairly hot but there was a light breeze that kept us comfortable enough.

We started out by crossing the canyon first — 80 feet down, across the canyon floor, and 80 feet up … not too difficult really. But by doing the trail this way, we got the most difficult section out of the way at the outset. The rest … well, it was a piece of cake. Of course, we stopped to photograph all the Puebloan ruins along the way, so it took us about two hours to get back to the visitor center.

A quick lunch at one of the picnic tables at the site. And then we set off for the RV park … driving back via the McElmo Canyon to create a loop with new-to-us scenery to entertain us along the way.

A great day … and we hope to have another one tomorrow as well.Read more