By Nadia Werby | Chimney Rock Interpretive Association
There is so much to learn and experience at Chimney Rock National Monument.
You’ll walk in the footsteps of the fascinating and enigmatic ancestral Puebloans of the Chaco Canyon, following primitive pathways that haven’t changed for 1,000 years. Archaeological structures and artifacts, abundant wildlife, and its setting in the breathtaking San Juan National Forest make Chimney Rock a must-see.
Full Moon Program and Early Tour
The Full Moon Program will take place on July 3 this month against the backdrop of the Great House Pueblo at the top of Chimney Rock Mesa.
Beginning about an hour before moonrise, an informative lecture on topics specific to the Chimney Rock site (ancestral Puebloan culture, archaeoastronomy theories, area geology, etc.) is followed by the music of Charles Martinez’s Native American flute as the full moon rises. You’ll be torn between looking west to see the spectacular sunset and focusing on the eastern mountain range to see the first sliver of moon.
The program lasts approximately three hours including check-in, driving to the mesa top (2.5 miles up a winding dirt road with 20-mph speed limit, allow 15 minutes each way) and hiking to the Great House Pueblo.
Please keep in mind that the lecture before the moon rises is approximately 30 minutes in length, and the hike back down the high mesa occurs after dark.
This program is recommended for ages 8 and up. Guests must enter through the Colo. 151 entry gate between 7:15 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 plus a booking fee and are considered a nonrefundable, nontransferable donation.
Guests are also offered the opportunity to take a tour on the Mesa Village Trail before the Full Moon Program begins with the Early Tour Full Moon Package. The cost for this program is $25 plus a booking fee. Guests must arrive between 6:30-6:45 p.m. for the early tour.
Flora of Chimney Rock
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 on for an introduction to some of the plant species that grow at Chimney Rock and their uses by ancestral Puebloan people.
The Flora of Chimney Rock will take this month on July 13 and 27 from 8 to 9:45 a.m. and on July 3, 17 and 31 from 4:30 to 6:15 p.m.
The tour includes the Great House Pueblo Trail (steep, rough trail with exposure to heights and drop-offs).
Guests must enter through the Colo. 151 entry gate during the check-in period; the gate will be locked at the end of that time. The fee is $16 for adults and $8 for ages 5-12, and is considered a nonrefundable donation.
Sketching at
the Pinnacles
The Sketching at the Pinnacles class takes place on Tuesdays on July 11, 18 and 25. This class is part art, part reflection, part nature study and a little bit of a visit to Chimney Rock National Monument — all rolled into one.
Together we will find a just perfect spot and get oriented to the site. Our goal will be to become centered at the site and then focus on our art materials.
On the second Tuesday of each month we’ll explore chalk pastels and how they can interpret the things we examine in nature. Our teacher will be Lise Neer, local professional pastel artist. On the fourth Tuesday of each month we’ll explore watercolors and how those materials can capture the world around us at Chimney Rock. Our teacher will be Kathie Disner, local professional watercolorist.
Afterward, there will be a sharing with each other of what we have learned. No art talent is required, just a desire to be open to suggestions and willing to try a hand at self-expression. Materials will be provided to each participant. Participants must check in at 5 p.m. The fee is $20 per person (ages 8 and up) including all materials and is considered a nonrefundable donation.
Guided Great House Tour
The Guided Great House Tour takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This guided tour takes visitors 1/3 of a mile up the Great Pueblo Trail and makes several stops along the way to enjoy the ancient Puebloan structures built over 1,000 years ago. Hear the archaeological details that connect this civilization to the Chaco culture located 90 miles southwest of this spot.
At the end of the trail visitors will enjoy the 360-degree view from atop the mountain ridge and have the closest view of the two pinnacles: Chimney Rock and Companion Rock.
The tour is available by reservation for up to 10 people and walk-ins are allowed if room allows. This program is recommended for ages 5 and up. Attendees must arrive at the plaza kiosk by 10 a.m; the tour begins at 10:30. Tickets are $12 (ages 13 and up) and $5 (ages 5-12) plus a booking fee and are nonrefundable. Walk-ins do not pay a booking fee, but the tour may be canceled for insufficient attendees. The USFS Daily Use Fee must be paid (or applicable federal pass used) since this program occurs during regular daily open hours.
Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tour
The Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tour takes place on Monday and Friday mornings from 8 to 10:15 a.m. and on Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7:15.
This engaging two-hours will spotlight a number of general topics aimed at interpreting the history and significance of Chimney Rock and the ancestral Puebloans who inhabited the area over a thousand years ago. You will walk both the Mesa Village and Great House Pueblo Trails, learning about the structures along each trail, including their significance and uses. You will be treated to the stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
Guests must arrive 15 minutes before the program starts. Tickets are $16 (ages 13 and up), $8 (ages 5-12), under 5 free, and are considered a nonrefundable, nontransferable donation.
Geology Tours
Geology Tours place on Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 8 to 10:30 and on Thursday evenings from 5 to 7:30. This program includes a 2.5-hour guided tour that explores local geology and its relationship to the daily lives of the ancestral Puebloans who lived at Chimney Rock. Tour participants will hear the events in the ancient geology of the area and learn how to identify a common trace fossil in the area.
Guests must arrive for check-in 15 minutes before the program begins. Tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for children (ages 5-12).
The Night Sky:
Stars and Galaxies
The Night Sky: Stars and Galaxies will take place on July 14. This program is timed for when the moon is absent from the sky in order to enjoy the night sky in a truly dark environment and see deep-sky objects such as binary stars, globular star clusters, open clusters, various nebulae and other galaxies.
Guests must arrive for check-in between 7:30 and 7:45 p.m. and the program begins at 9 p.m.
The Night Sky:
Our Solar System
The Night Sky: Our Solar System program will take place on July 21. This program is timed for when the moon is wonderfully visible in the early night sky. That makes it so we can enjoy the moon and several planets along with some deep-sky objects that are beyond our galaxy that we can see with the telescopes.
Guests must check-in between 7:30-7:45 p.m. and the program starts at 9 p.m.
There are three parts to the Night Sky Programs program. They start with a live brief history of Chimney Rock, followed by a video presentation about the ancient people and explaining why astronomy was such an important part of their lives. The third part of the program is a recorded presentation that gives understanding of deep-sky objects such as binary stars, globular star clusters, open cluster, various nebulae and other galaxies. The program includes basic astronomy that will prepare you for what we will be seeing through our telescopes.
Tickets are $16 for ages 13 and up, $8 for ages 5-12, under 5 free, and are considered a nonrefundable, nontransferable donation.
Flute, Moon and Stars
The Flute, Moon and Stars program will take place on July 22 in the amphitheater area with an amazing view of the pinnacles above.
The program will begin with a relaxing walk up the 1/4-mile nature trail above the amphitheater and, upon returning to the amphitheater, the program resumes with an informative lecture on topics specific to the Chimney Rock site. As the moonlight increases and evening falls, you will be treated to the haunting melodies of a Native American flute played by our own Charles Martinez.
Gaze in wonder as the moon rises as it did more than 1,000 years ago when the ancestral Puebloans called Chimney Rock home.
Guests must enter through the Colo. 151 entry gate between 5:45 and 6 p.m.. The program ends at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 (age 13 and up) and $8 (ages 5-12) plus a booking fee, and are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
More information
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.
Chimney Rock uses a fee system. All vehicles and motorcycles will be subject to a 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, purchase your pass in advance or arrive on-site and use the app to provide payment (Android or iOS) by scanning 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.
The Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that offers interpretive programs at Chimney Rock National Monument in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the San Juan National Forest. For more information, see the CRIA website at www.chimneyrockco.org or call (970) 731-7133.
