Chimney Rock National Monument Open for the 2022 Season

Come experience a unique part of America’s heritage this summer in the shadows of Chimney Rock National Monument’s awe-inspiring twin spires. Chimney Rock opened for the 2022 season with a lunar eclipse and there’s much more to come! Archaeological structures and artifacts, abundant wildlife, and its setting in the breathtaking San Juan National Forest make Chimney Rock a must-see.

May Special Events at Chimney Rock National Monument
Geology Tour: May 25, 7:00 – 8:30am
Night Sky: Stars and Galaxies – May 27, 7:15 – 10:00pm
Life at Chimney Rock – Saturday, May 28, 10:00am – 4:00pm

This month’s Geology Tour will take place on Wednesday, May 25. 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 at 7:00am. The tour departs the lower parking lot at 8:30am and ends at 9:30. Tickets are $16/adult and $8/child (ages 5-12.)

The first Night Sky program of the season will be on Friday, May 27. 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. Check-in at the entry gate at 7:15pm.

Celebrate Memorial Weekend with CRIA’s Life at Chimney Rock family festival! Join us on Saturday, May 28 from 10:00am – 4:00pm for activities related to ancestral Puebloan culture, Native American market, and more! No reservations and no fees required – just come and enjoy!

CRIA’s Youth Workshops take place in June and July and include age-appropriate activities such as rock art, weaving, coil pottery, artifact discovery, nature collage and much more! Students must bring a sack lunch. Water and snack will be provided. The cost for the Workshops is $35 for the first child and $25 for each additional child per family. Scholarships are available. The workshops run from 9:00am – 2:00pm, June 3, 6, 13, 22 and July 1, 13, 22, 27.

For additional information, please go to this web page or call (970) 731-7133.

For tickets for any of these special programs, please visit www.chimneyrockco.org or call 1-877-444-6777. 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.

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 Highway 151. To view the Chimney Rock National Monument 2021 Calendar of Events go to www.chimneyrockco.org.

CRIA is a non-profit 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.

Nadia Werby

Nadia Werby is the Marketing Coordinator for the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association.