Campvue

Reviewed: Jul 31, 2026

5 out of 5

I spent 3 nights here at site 12 at Hovenweep Campground in July of 2026. This review should provide the unique perspective of camping in this region during the hot, humid, summer monsoon season in the American southwest. Like all the sites here, site 12 has a very welcome shade shelter, which I would call a necessity. While there are many mature Utah juniper and pinyon pines across the campground, they do not provide the best shade. So having that shelter made life much easier here. Site 12 is one of the sites appropriate for tent campers. Like similar sites, site 12 has a tiny driveway, not suitable for rigs. If you want a site better equipped for an RV, look at the sites labeled "no tent". There are plenty. Since site 12 is a tent site, like others, it has a good-sized tent pad, and our REI base Camp 4 (4 person tent) fit well within the bounds of the tent pad, although I did have to stake outside a bit for the rainfly, which was not an issue. The site did have a fire ring with an attached grill, but being as though it was prime wild fire season, fires were not allowed. I chose site 12 as there is no neighboring site to the right of it (facing the site). And, other nearby sites are well spaced out, and those junipers block sight lines. So 12 is better than average for privacy. It also has a trail that leads right to the restroom, located right behind the site. The bathroom facility is not too far, and not too close... just right. It is nice to have restrooms with flushing toilets and sinks in a remote area like this. Being as though summer is not a popular season, one night, I was the only camper in the whole place, while on other nights, there was one to two other campers at most. For me, taking the tradeoff of summer heat for quiet is well worth it. The nights cool off just enough so that it is not miserable. The main word of caution is, we experienced some monsoon activity each night of our stay. It mainly manifested as high winds from outflows from nearby storms, so be prepared for high winds that last for hours in the afternoon. There are no big trees on the landscape to break the wind up. Guy lines are highly recommended here, as well as proper tent position. If you are not prepared for high winds, your tent might suffer! I was surprised to have a signal for my cell phone (Verizon) out here, and while it was on the weaker side, it was very helpful. The three nights I stayed at 12 were among the best of my trip, and I enjoyed exploring the nearby Ancestral Puebloan ruins that make Hovenweep such a treasure. I can't recommend this campground, and site 12 enough. 5 stars all day long!