Summer is here, and it’s time to get outside and explore. At Chimney Rock National Monument you can view the stars, the full moon or take a tour of this majestic place where the ancient Puebloans used to live.
Chimney Rock offers monthly programs, annual events and guided tours that are fun and educational for the whole family.
July special events
• Flora Tour: July 11, 15, 25 and 29.
• Art at the Pinnacles: July 11, 16 and 31.
• Flute Music at Twilight: July 13.
• Full Moon Program: July 20.
• Plein Air Workshop: July 27.
• Guided Great House Walking Tour: July 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 30.
• Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tours: July 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29 (mornings), and July 10, 17 and 24 (evenings).
• Geology Tour: July 9, 16 and 23 (afternoons), and July 13, 20 and 27 (mornings).
• Night Sky: Our Solar System: July 12.
Registration is required 12 hours in advance at www.chimneyrockco.org for all programs.
Flora Tour
This tour is offered on select Thursday mornings and Monday evenings in June and July and is specifically designed to educate the visitor about the plants indigenous to Chimney Rock National Monument and the surrounding area.
A copy of “Flora of Chimney Rock” will be given to participants to help them identify plants as they proceed along the trail.
A thousand years ago the people who lived at Chimney Rock depended on the plants around them for food, fuel, tools, housing, clothing, medicine and art. The breadth and depth of their knowledge is almost unimaginable today. Join us for an introduction to some of the plant species that grow at Chimney Rock and their uses by Ancestral Puebloan people.
The tour takes visitors along the Great House Trail. At the end of the trail, visitors will enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view from atop the mesa ridge. They will also be afforded the closest view possible of the two pinnacles: Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. Peregrine falcons are often sighted on the left side of Companion Rock, so cameras are a must. Of special note, the tour will be conducted in the quiet off-hours of the monument.
Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate from 8 to 8:15 a.m. on Thursday mornings and from 4:40 to 4:45 p.m. on Monday evenings. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time. Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5-12, and under 5 are free.
Art at the Pinnacles
Art at the Pinnacles is a weekly class offered at various locations within the monument.
Each week a different class will be taught. On July 11, Drawing with Pastels will be offered. On July 16, Pencil Drawing Basics will be offered. On July 31, Beginning Watercolors will be offered. Most classes will be held at 8 a.m. Drawing classes will be held at 5 p.m.
Our teachers are Lise Neer and Kathie Disner, professional local artists, and Denise Fisk, former school art teacher.
Check-in for the beginning watercolors class is from 7:45 to 8 a.m., and check-in for the pencil drawing basics is from 4:45 to 5 p.m. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Tickets are $25 for ages 10 and up.
Plein Air Workshop
The Plein Air Workshop is offered once a month on a Saturday. It will be offered July 27 In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the process of plein air painting — the act of painting outdoors to capture the spirit and essence of a landscape by incorporating natural light, color and movement — in essence, learning to capture the outdoors while outdoors — and, of course, featuring the scenic vistas at Chimney Rock National Monument.
The first session will begin with a demonstration covering the use of materials, either watercolor or pastel, or both, and tips for composition and technique in the outdoors. This initial study/painting will be used as a reference for a more complete painting later in the day, which will be held indoors at a location in downtown Pagosa Springs.
All materials are provided. No experience is necessary. All levels of ability are welcome. Bring a lunch/snacks/drink as appropriate.
Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate from 7:45 to 8 a.m. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Tickets are $75 for ages 10 and up.
Night Sky: Our Solar System
The Night Sky: Our Solar System program is offered on a Friday each month which affords the best viewing of the moon’s surface using a telescope. Although the focus will be on the moon and its diverse qualities, other night sky objects will be identified and studied.
A video presentation, “Tour of the Night Sky,” will be shown to help identify constellations, bright stars and other objects of interest, and will be followed by a lecture explaining the significance of the night sky to the Ancestral Puebloans. This special sky opportunity affords an exclusive view of heavenly bodies from a place where the Ancestral Puebloans lived, observed and studied the celestial skies daily more than 1,000 years ago.
Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate is from 7:30 to 8:25 p.m. The program is from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5-12, and under 5 are free.
Flute Music at Twilight
The Flute Music at Twilight program is offered on select Saturday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. during quiet off-hours of the monument.
It begins from the amphitheater with a relaxing 1/4-mile walk up the nature trail, providing visitors with an experience of the natural environment along with beautiful views of the two pinnacles. Upon returning to the amphitheater, the program resumes with an informative lecture on topics specific to Chimney Rock such as the Ancestral Puebloan culture, archaeoastronomy theories, the major lunar standstill, geology, etc.
As dusk progresses and stars begin to appear, you will be treated to the haunting melodies of a Native American flute played by our own Charles Martinez. Visitors will gaze in wonder at the heavenly skies and ponder what significance they had for the Ancestral Puebloans when they looked up at the same night skies 1,000 years ago.
This is recommended for ages 4 and up. Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5-12, and under 5 are free.
Full Moon Program
The Full Moon Program is offered once a month to coincide with the full moon and provide a unique backdrop in a sky unhindered by the lights of modern-day civilization.
About an hour before moonrise, visitors will be treated to an informative lecture on topics specific to the Chimney Rock site — Ancestral Puebloan culture, archaeoastronomy theories, area geology, etc.
Then, as the full moon begins to rise, a single flute note follows another and another as you become slowly embraced by the music of Martinez. You’ll be torn between looking west to see the spectacular sunset or focusing on the eastern mountain range to see the first sliver of moon.
The entire program lasts approximately three hours including check-in, driving to the mesa top and hiking the Great House Trail. At the end of the trail, visitors will enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view from atop the mesa ridge.
Tickets are $25 per person.
Visitors are offered the option to take an early, guided tour of the Mesa Village Trail before the Full Moon Program. This Early Tour/Full Moon Package is $30 and is available through the Recreation.gov website or the call center, (877) 444-6777, under the title Early Tour/Full Moon Package.
Check-in for the early tour this month is from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Colo. 151 entrance gate. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Guided Great House Tour
The Guided Great House Tour is offered on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings.
This guided tour takes visitors 1/3 mile up the Great Pueblo Trail, making several stops along the way to learn about the ancient Puebloan structures built more than 1,000 years ago and their connection to the Chaco culture located 90 miles southwest of this spot. At the end of the trail, visitors will enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view from atop the mesa ridge. They will also be afforded the closest view possible of the two pinnacles: Chimney Rock and Companion Rock.
Peregrine falcons are often sighted on the left side of Companion Rock, so cameras are a must.
Check-in is at the plaza kiosk at 10 a.m. The tour begins at 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $12 for ages 13 and up and $6 for ages 5-12. It is recommended for ages 5 and above due to uneven, rocky steps and steep drop-offs.
Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tour
The Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tour is offered on Monday and Friday mornings from 8 to 10:15 a.m., and on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7:15 p.m.
This engaging two-hour tour will spotlight several topics aimed specifically at interpreting the history and significance of Chimney Rock and the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the area more than 1,000 years ago.
The tour takes visitors along both the Mesa Village Trail and the Great House Trail to learn specifics about the structures along the way — their significance and uses. At the end of the trail, visitors will enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view from atop the mesa ridge.
Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate from 7:45 to 8 a.m. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5-12, and under 5 are free.
Geology Tour
The Geology Tour is offered weekly on Tuesday late afternoons and Saturday mornings.
This 2.5-hour guided tour explores the local geology and its relationship to the daily lives of the Ancestral Puebloans who lived at Chimney Rock more than 1,000 years ago.
Tour participants will be taken on a journey through geologic time to learn what the rocks present at Chimney Rock today tell us about the geography of southwestern Colorado over time.
Participants will also learn how to identify common rocks and fossils in the area. Rock types impact structures, pottery, tools and soil productivity. Geologic processes determine the landscape at Chimney Rock and play a central role in climate. The relationship between the two pillars (Chimney Rock and Companion Rock) and the South San Juan Mountains in terms of astronomical observations will be discussed. The tour also covers the key points discussed in the archaeological-focused tours like the Great House Tour. No prior knowledge of geology is required.
Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate from 7:45 to 8 a.m. for the morning tour and from 4:45 to 5 p.m. for the evening tour. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time.
Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5-12, and under 5 are free.
Purchasing tickets
For tickets for any of these special programs, please visit www.chimneyrockco.org or call (877) 444-6777. A booking fee applies to each ticket purchased online or through the call center.
Purchasing your tickets in advance is the only way to guarantee a spot for the monthly and annual programs. Reservations will be cut off 12 hours prior to the start of the tour. Most tours/programs fill up, but walk-ins will be accommodated if space is available.
Chimney Rock uses a fee system. All vehicles and motorcycles are subject to an activity pass fee of $20. The activity pass fee provides five days of access to Chimney Rock National Monument.
To purchase your required activity pass, you can:
• Purchase your activity pass in advance at Recreation.gov.
• Download the Recreation.gov mobile app to purchase your pass in advance or arrive on-site and use the app to provide payment (Android or iOS) by scanning the on-site QR code.
• Arrive on-site and pay cash.
Interagency, Access, Senior, Military and fourth-grader park passes are accepted for national monument access.
Include Chimney Rock in your plans this summer. This Ancestral Puebloan cultural site is located 17 miles west of Pagosa and 3 miles south on Colo. 151.
To view the Chimney Rock National Monument calendar of events, go to www.chimneyrockco.org.
CRIA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that runs the gift shop and interpretive programs/tours at Chimney Rock National Monument in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the San Juan National Forest.
