Hovenweep Horseshoe Group Length: .25 miles round trip Difficulty: Easy Description: The Horseshoe Group is a cluster of Anasazi ruins - an ancient village that housed some 50-60 people. It is a part of Hovenweep National Monument, located along the Utah/Colorado border in the Four Corners area. Ruins The ruins consist of broken down rock buildings. The most significant is Horseshoe House itself, a D-shaped structure with a curved wall on one side and subdivided into compartments in the same general pattern of Sun Temple at Mesa Verde. The canyon-head beneath Horseshoe House contains a small cliff dwelling and a kiva; well-preserved hand prints can be found in the grotto that holds the spring. Most of the ruins can be seen via a .25 mile stroll around the canyon rim. Turnoff You'll need a detailed map to find your way from the Hovenweep Visitor Center (at Square Tower Ruin) to the Horseshoe parking area/trailhead. Hackberry/Horseshoe Fork Horseshoe is just west of the Hackberry cluster of ruins. You'll probably want to visit both spots in the same trip. Parking Area From the parking area, just walk southwest to the canyon rim. Structures are located on the rim and also down in the canyon itself, with ceremonial structures located to the east and west of the main pueblo. An isolated Tower stands on the sandstone point to the west of the main dwellings; in spite of its seemingly defensive position, it was probably used for domestic or ceremonial purposes.