photos by Stephen Eginoire

Hidden among the sage just west of Cortez is a vast network of canyons that are home to the highest known concentration of prehistoric and historic Native American ruins in the country. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, as its known, hosts numerous marked trails and maintained ruins, as well as countless seldom visited backcountry gems. Heres a look at a few sites, hikeable year-round, (if you dont mind the mud): Hovenweep and Lowry.

The Great Kiva, the one of the largest known kivas in the region, is located near the Lowry Pueblo ruins. A view of the Twin Towers ruin, perched above Little Ruin Canyon at Hovenweep.

 

In this week's issue...

August 22, 2024
Rethinking 'big grid'

Increasingly, microgrids seen as way to combat climate, geographic vulnerabilities
 

August 22, 2024
The bee's knees

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are now classified as wildlife in Colorado
 

August 15, 2024
Pucker up

Mother Nature turns riffle into a ripper on Cataract Canyon