Hovenweep vs. Mesa Verde

One thing that I really love about Hovenweep is how different is from your typical national park. We get a smaller crowd than most parks, so it is more peaceful. Being remote brings a nice atmosphere to the park simply because it deters what I like to call the drive-by tourist, who want to stay in their car and drive by or through the park seeing what they can from their car, snapping a few pictures and leaving. Most of the people coming here really make a conscious decision to (except the few that come because they get lost) and therefore appreciate the place more.

A national monument or park isn't something to be experienced in a few minutes. To really get a sense of a park traveling by foot is practically the only way to get a sense of it. You are able to slow down life a little and truly take in your surroundings, the smells of the flowers, seeing the wildlife, the silence of the desert.

Walking around you can really get a feel for what it might have been like here 700 years ago. This park leaves much more to the imagination. We often get compared to Mesa Verde, 45 minutes to the east in Colorado. Although it was build by relatives of the people of Hovenweep, Mesa Verde is much more known to the public most likely because it is bigger and built up. The tours going on through the day, on every hour and I get the feeling I'm seeing a pony parade. The sheer amount of tourists almost cheapens the experience altogether. Even though it may be impressive, all those structures have been rebuilt too. Hovenweep has merely stabilized the structures here to preserve their integrity and left them as is. It was actually the only park with ruins that was set aside to be left untouched.




Native Americans actually have been upset by all the reconstruction and archeological digging in their ancient ancestor's dwellings. In their eyes, we are disturbing the past. As these ruins fall down, the Hopi and Zuni see that mother Earth is taking it back, and since it is a sacred space it should be left alone. Sure a lot of people object to this point of view, but honestly I believe that we need to respect that more. Haven't the whites done enough to the Native Americans already? Do we still have to disturb their history and ancestry as well?