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.
Life at Chimney Rock Festival: June 1 and 2. The annual Life at Chimney Rock Festival at Chimney Rock National Monument will take place this year on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2 from 10am to 4pm each day. Family activities and interactive demonstrations of the skills of the ancients will be led by Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) volunteers. Visitors can learn about astronomy, try tasting a sample of Anasazi beans, weaving, rock art, pottery, atlatl, corn grinding, yucca pounding and get a close-up view of a peregrine falcon. The entrance to the festival and the monument is free for this event.
Flora Tour: June 3, 13, 17 and 22. This tour is offered on select Thurs- day 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. 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: June 6, 11 and 26. Art at the Pinnacles is a weekly class offered at various locations within the monument.Each week a different class will be taught. On June 6 Drawing with Pastels will be offered. On June 11 Pencil Draw- ing Basics will be offered, and on June 26 Beginning Watercolors will be offered. Most classes will be held at 8am. Drawing classes will be held at 5pm. 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 8am, and check-in for the pencil drawing basics is from 4:45 to 5pm. Tickets are $25 for ages 10 and up.
Stars and Galaxies: June 7. The Stars and Galaxies Program is offered on a select Friday each month when the earth is closest to the new moon. When a new moon occurs, the night sky is at its darkest, highlighting thousands of stars against the vast blackness of space — a unique experi- ence here at Chimney Rock, isolated from the artificial lights of modern-day civilization.Check-in is at the Colo. 151 entrance gate from 7:30 to 8:15 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.
Mysteries of Chimney Rock Tours. 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. Tickets are $20 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 5-12, and under 5 are free.
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