Little Ruin Canyon Trail

This short hike is the main attraction at Hovenweep National Monument and follows the rim of Little Ruin Canyon past several intriguing buildings dating to the A.D. 1200s.

Trail description

The trail begins behind the visitor center and continues across open country punctuated by juniper trees, sagebrush, and cliffrose. Several hundred feet down the paved path, you reach the rim of Little Ruin Canyon and the first site called Stronghold House. The path splits here, and while you can hike the trail in either direction, this description makes a counter clockwise loop.

As you continue west along Little Ruin Canyon you can see several structures standing along the rim. Most of these were constructed in the A.D. 1200s, around the same time as the cliff dwellings at nearby Mesa Verde National Park.

A short walk on slickrock takes you to the next site. Unit Type House represents a basic building plan common in Southwest sites, and was repeated to transform the unit into a larger pueblo. Here, you can also see Eroded Boulder House across the canyon.

The trail splits again in an optional spur to Tower Point. Tower Point sits on the tip of a peninsula that forms the head of Little Ruin Canyon. In addition to views of the structure, you get excellent views downcanyon. In the distance, Sleeping Ute Mountain rises near Cortez, Colorado, at the north end of the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation.  The mountain’s reclined silhouette is about 12 miles long, and according to Ute legend the Great Warrior God came to help fight against evil, and the fierce battle that ensued shaped the landscape into mountains and valleys. The injured Great Warrior God lay down to rest, fell asleep, and transformed into the mountain you see from Tower Point.

Next up is Hovenweep Castle and Square Tower, quickly followed by Hovenweep House. These multistory structures form the heart of the settlement at Little Ruin Canyon and are positioned at the head of the canyon near a spring. The walls of the structures show detailed masonry techniques, including small rocks inserted in mortar joints.

Around 1.2 miles you pass Rim Rock House, which stands two stories tall and has several peepholes in the walls. Archaeologists are uncertain of their purpose, with guesses ranging from defense or ventilation to tracking the sun’s seasonal progression.

Twin Towers is the last site along the trail and perhaps the most impressive. The walls of two buildings, one oval and the other horseshoe shaped, almost touch and rise up from the bedrock. From here, the trail drops down into Little Ruin Canyon and climbs up the other side. When you loop back to Stronghold House, turn north and walk back to the visitor center.

Directions

From Blanding, Utah, drive south on Hwy 191 for about 15 miles. Turn left onto UT 262, and after 8 miles, turn left on Hwy 401. Continue for 16 miles, passing Hatch Trading Post and following signs to Hovenweep National Monument. Park at the visitor center and stop inside to pay your entrance fee and get interpretive materials.