Chimney Rock National Monument

Chimney Rock lies within the San Juan National Forest, between Durango and Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado. The Monument encompasses 4,726 acres, preserving hundreds of prehistoric sites that dot the landscape around the twin spires known as Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. Home to the ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians, the site holds spiritual significance for many tribes; the Ancestral Puebloans built more than 200 homes and ceremonial buildings high above the valley floor, probably to be near the twin rock pinnacles. Some ancient structures have been excavated and stabilized for viewing, including a Great Kiva, Pit House, Multi-Family Dwelling and a Chacoan-style Great House Pueblo, while many unexcavated structures stimulate the imagination. The northeastern-most Chacoan outlier is one of the highest elevation Ancestral Puebloan sites, and the mountain peaks to the north and east made it an ideal spot for tracking the movement of the sun and moon. The people of Chimney Rock may have used signal towers at various locations to transmit calendric information to Chaco Canyon. The Chimney Rock Interpretive Association, a non-profit organization, conducts daily tours and operates the Visitor Center during the season from May 15 through September 30, in partnership with the San Juan National Forest and under a partnership agreement with the Pagosa Ranger District, USDA Forest Service. Its mission is to provide the site's care, protection and preservation, as well as public interpretation and education. Both self-guided and guided tours are offered seven days a week, and the Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily with the exception of special events. Offerings include guided walking tours, an audio Kiva trail tour, a geology tour, Life at Chimney Rock, Dances of the Ancients, Summer Sunrise, Stories at Sunset, and night sky programs on the stars and galaxies, our solar system, and the full moon.