The name Hovenweep (“Deserted Valley”) is an old one in the
nomenclature of the canyons of southwestern Colorado and formerly
(1877) was applied to the canyon now called the Yellow Jacket, but at
present is limited to one of the tributaries. The name is here used to
designate an area situated just over the Colorado State line, in Utah,
part of which it is hoped will later be reserved from the public domain
and made a monument to be called Hovenweep National Monument.
The ruined castles and towers in this district are marvelously well
preserved, considering their age and imperfect masonry. We can
determine their original appearance with no difficulty and use them
in reconstructing the possible forms of more dilapidated ruins, now
piles of débris. The best castles and towers known to the author are
localized in three canyons: (1) Square Tower Canyon, (2) Holly Canyon,
(3) Hackberry Canyon. There are, of course, other castles and towers in
the Yellow Jacket-McElmo region, but there is no locality where so many
different forms appear in equal numbers in a small area.