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Mclean Basin Towers

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 5.2 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Elevation: 5042 - 5510 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 2 hrs. 15 mins.
Trailhead: McLean Basin
Fee: none
Attractions: pueblo style ruins




Located about 20 miles southwest of Pleasant View, Colorado, in the upper reaches of McLean Basin, are two large tower ruins and one smaller tower. Along the way there is what looks like an old homestead made out of sandstone rocks in pueblo fashion of the ubiquitous 12x12 dimensions required by the Homestead Act.


From Pleasant View, Colorado follow the signs toward the Lowry Pueblo for 5.45 miles and then turn left onto County Road 10 and head toward Hovenweep. About 7 tenths of a mile after crossing into Utah the Cross Canyon Road will be on the right. You can also simply enter 'Hovenweep National Monument Visitor Center' into your driving app and look for the turnoff about 2.75 miles before reaching Hovenweep. The Cross Canyon Road is signed with a white mylar marker labeled 2031.


Follow the Cross Canyon Road (2031) for about 8 tenths of a mile and you will pass a primitive campsite overlooking the canyon that is big enough for several large RV's. From there the road drops steeply into the drainage. After the road crosses a wash take the right fork and continue up canyon. Near the 6.4 mile point from the Hovenweep Road you will come to the wire gate in this photo which marks the Colorado/Utah border. If the road has been recently maintained 2wd vehicles should have no trouble making it this far. There is a brown mylar marker at the gate that indicates no vehicles although we did notice several sets of fresh tire tracks.


The route follows an old 4wd road all the way through McLean Basin. The road makes the hiking a little easier and a lot faster.


Near the 1 mile point the route passes through another gate and at the 1.6 mile point it reaches the historic ruin.


The blocks of sandstone used in the construction are larger than what were typically used in most pueblos. Dry stacked construction was used and you will notice on the left that the corner walls weren't tied together with overlaps. The wooden roof which once crowned the one room building is on the ground behind the chimney.


For the last mile up to the towers the road gets steeper as it climbs a little over 300 feet in elevation.


There is a high fence surrounding the towers but the gate didn't have a lock and there were no signs saying not to enter the enclosure. It seems that the original intention must have been to keep people as well as cattle out or why is the fence so tall. Perhaps the policy was changed at some point.


One of the towers is mostly intact and the other is only half remaining.


The band of colored stones show that aesthetics meant something even back then.


Both of the towers were built on top of large sandstone outcrops giving them a solid base that has probably helped somewhat in their preservation.


The small, or third, tower was made using dry stacked construction and hasn't fared as well.


We had seen a lot of mountain lion scat all along the road through the basin. It was getting dusk as we got back to the truck which kept us looking over our shoulders. Fortunately none of the scat was very fresh although we did see some elk tracks that were made since the last rain. Mountain lions are never very far from their next meal so it was something to think about. The McLean Basin Twin Towers were well worth all the trouble it took to visit them. If you would like to see them for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.