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2023 Map of Ruin Point

Name: 2023 Topographic Map of Ruin Point
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 2023
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 2023

About this map

Hovenweep National Monument anchors the southern portion of this high-desert landscape on the border of Utah and Colorado. The map documents a significant area of ancestral Puebloan heritage, featuring the Square Tower and the deeply incised drainage of Little Ruin Canyon. The terrain is defined by a series of prominent mesas and points, including Tin Cup Mesa, Bug Point, and Sego Point, which overlook a network of canyons that feed into the larger Cross Canyon system.

Modern infrastructure and historic trails cross the arid plateau, with Hovenweep Rd and various Indian Routes providing access to remote points like Ruin Point. The presence of ephemeral water sources such as Cajon Lake and Little Cajon Lake, alongside Cross Canyon Spring, illustrates the critical geography of water in this semi-arid environment. Localized paths like the Hackberry Trl and Holly Trl weave through the canyon rims, following the natural contours of the McLean Basin and Cajon Mesa.