Hovenweep National Monument is a National Monument in Colorado, Utah. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and 1 photo locations inside or next to the park.
Best photo spots in Hovenweep
We matched 1 named overlooks, waterfalls, peaks and other features to Hovenweep. Each has its own page with sun directions and a monthly golden hour table.
Dark Sky Places (1)
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Hovenweep the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 244° | 9h 52m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:56 PM | 255° | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 268° | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 283° | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 295° | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 301° | 14h 44m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 298° | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 289° | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 274° | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:40 PM | 260° | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 247° | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 241° | 9h 36m |
Computed for the park's reference point (37.3913, -109.0048); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
From Hovenweep, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | 5:14 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.8 | 24° |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:53 AM | 5.3 | 24° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Hovenweep is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October), when daytime highs average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50 F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 F, making strenuous exercise difficult. Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 F.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
| Entrance fee | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Entrance - Private Vehicle | $20.00 |
| Entrance - Motorcycle | $15.00 |
| Entrance - Per Person | $10.00 |
Fees as published by the NPS when this page was built — confirm on nps.gov before you go.
Getting there
The Hovenweep Visitor Center is located 40-45 miles from Cortez, CO, and Blanding and Bluff, UT. If you use a GPS or a navigation app on your phone, make sure that you have set your destination to the Hovenweep National Monument Visitor Center, and that your route matches the directions on our website. Alternate routes to the visitor center, and any road to our remote, outlying units, can be very rough.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Camping
- Hiking
- Junior Ranger Program
- Park Film
- Shopping
- Bookstore and Park Store
Nearby parks
CO
CO
UT
NM
UT
AZ