The Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) is pleased to offer a variety of educational programs this summer at Chimney Rock National Monument.
The Association is offering two different night sky archaeoastronomy programs: Our Solar System on Friday, August 5, and Stars and Galaxies on August 26. Each program focuses on different elements of the night sky.
Tickets are $16 (adults) and $8 (children 5-12) plus booking fee, and are nonrefundable. Check our website for program times and bring your questions.
Sketching at the Pinnacles Program
The Sketching at the Pinnacles Program will take place on August 2. This class is part art, part reflection, part nature study, and a little visit to Chimney Rock National Monument — all rolled into one.
Guests gather at the head of the Mesa Village Trail and proceed to the Great Kiva to sit on blankets or chairs (bring your own). The goal is to become centered with the site and focus in on a specific item of nature.
Using sketchbooks and drawing materials provided, you’ll examine the item of nature selected and watch how it magically appears on a page in your sketchbook.
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 willingness to try a hand at self-expression.
These are reservations-only programs, not suitable for children under 10. The fee of $20 (age 10 and up) includes all materials and is considered a nonrefundable donation.
Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tour
The Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tour is offered every Monday and Thursday in August. The Monday tour is from 5 to 7:30pm and the Thursday tour is from 7 to 9:30am.
This engaging two-hour tour is led by a trained CRIA tour guide, and will focus on 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.
The tours are conducted in the quiet off-hours of the monument. Bring your curiosity, camera, sturdy shoes and water.
Tickets are $16/adult and $8/ child (ages 5-12).
Geology tours
This month’s geology tours (August 3, 8, 10, 17, 22 and 31) are 2.5-hour guided tours that explore 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 7am.
Tickets are $16/adult and $8/ child (ages 5-12).
Moonlight Melody Program
This month’s Moonlight Melody Program, on August 13, will begin at the amphitheater with a relaxing walk up the 1/4-mile nature trail, providing an experience of the natural environment along with beautiful views of the pinnacles.
Upon returning to the amphitheater, the program resumes with an informative lecture on topics specific to the Chimney Rock site such as Ancestral Puebloan culture, archaeoastronomy theories, the major lunar standstill, area geology, etc. 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.
This program lasts approximately 2.5 hours including check-in, trail walk, lecture and moonrise musical performance, and is recommended for ages 4 and up.
Tickets are $16 (age 13 and up) and $8 (ages 5-12) plus a booking fee and are nonrefundable and nontransferable.