Square Tower to Holly Trail
Photo: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 3.3 mi
- round trip
- 757 ft
- climb
- 5,351 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Square Tower to Holly Trail open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Hovenweep National Monument.
As of · Source: NPS · Hovenweep National Monument. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Square Tower to Holly Trail is an easy out-and-back hike in Hovenweep National Monument in southeastern Utah, managed by the National Park Service. The route is about 6.6 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 757 feet, and it starts and ends at roughly 5,200 feet. The steepest stretch comes early, with a 13% grade at about 0.06 miles in. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 78°F and October highs around 71°F, while July averages climb to about 96°F. A fee is charged for the hike. Hovenweep Campground sits just 0.1 mile away, and the Square Tower Group Loop and Tower Point are both within a mile. Holly Towers Campground, across the Colorado line, is about 2.2 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Sundance RV Park27 mi away
- Coral Sands RV Park28 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Hovenweep CampgroundCamping0.1 mi
Square Tower Group LoopHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.3 mi- Tower PointHikingPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.6 mi
- Holly Towers CampgroundCamping2.2 mi
Horsehoe and Hackberry TrailHikingPhoto: PunkToad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)2.7 mi- BLM 4720: Pedro Point RoadHiking5 mi
- NorthsideRock climbing5.7 mi
- Squaw Canyon SpurMountain biking5.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Square Tower Group LoopHiking · Next doorPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
East Rock Creek TrailHiking · ~23 min drivePhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sand Canyon TrailHiking · ~24 min drivePhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Tower PointHiking · Next doorPhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Pack TrailHiking · ~47 min drive
Mcphee OverlookHiking · ~52 min drivePhoto: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Horsehoe and Hackberry TrailHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: PunkToad, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Stinky Spring LoopHiking · ~55 min drive
- Sage Hen LoopHiking · ~52 min drive
Cutthroat Castle TrailHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Also worth it near here
Rock Creek TrailMountain biking · ~23 min drivePhoto: Greg Willis from Denver, CO, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- East Rock Creek Canyon ArchNatural arch · ~25 min drive
McElmo CreekCanoeing · ~25 min drivePhoto: Rationalobserver, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Trail of the AncientsScenic drive · ~43 min drive
Best time to visit Square Tower to Holly Trail
Best months: April–May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
43° / 18°
5 wet · 2 snow
Feb
50° / 23°
5 wet · 2 snow
Mar
60° / 29°
5 wet · 1 snow
Apr
68° / 35°
5 wet
May
78° / 44°
4 wet
Jun
90° / 53°
3 wet
Jul
96° / 61°
6 wet
Aug
93° / 59°
6 wet
Sep
84° / 50°
6 wet
Oct
71° / 37°
5 wet
Nov
56° / 26°
4 wet · 1 snow
Dec
44° / 18°
5 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hovenweep Nm, UT, 0.3 mi away at 5,240 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
