CHIMNEY ROCK NATIONAL MONUMENT

Overview: 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 represents spiritual significance to 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: Great Kiva, Pit House, Multi-Family Dwelling, and a Chacoan style Great House Pueblo. Many unexcavated structures stimulate the imagination. The northeastern-most Chacoan outlier is one of the highest elevation Ancestral Puebloan sites.

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 (CRIA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and conducts daily tours and operates the Visitor Center during the season from May 15 through September 30.

Their mission, in partnership with the San Juan National Forest, is to provide the site's care, protection, and preservation, as well as public interpretation and education, and manage the interpretive program at the Monument under a partnership agreement with the Pagosa Ranger District, USDA Forest Service. CRIA offers both self-guided and guided tours seven days a week. m.

m. daily with the exception of special events.