Chimney Rock National Monument
At Chimney Rock National Monument, you can imagine the landscape as it was a thousand years ago with cultivated fields and settlements extending from the valley floors to the mesa tops.
Chimney Rock represents one of the largest Pueblo II (900-1150 AD) communities in southwestern Colorado and is considered a Chacoan cultural “outlier.” The Chaco phenomenon was a complex system of dispersed communities bound by economic, political and religious interdependence centered in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. The area continues to hold special significance for today’s Native American peoples. More than 150 documented archaeological resources grouped into eight clusters at Chimney Rock date back to the Pueblo II period. Architectural structures include pit houses, great kivas, and great houses.
The pinnacles that give Chimney Rock its name frame multiple astronomical alignments including the northern lunar standstill, summer solstice, equinoxes, and Crab Nebula. The Ancestral Puebloans incorporated their knowledge of astronomy into the design of their community.
Plan Your Visit
The Chimney Rock National Monument encompasses 4,726 acres of the San Juan National Forest between Durango and Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The Chimney Rock Interpretive Program is managed and staffed by the U.S. Forest Service and Chimney Rock Interpretive Association. In addition to guided Great House Tours on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings at 10:30am, special events and school tours are also offered.
Self-guided tours are available during open hours and are included with registration. Please check in with the outdoor Forest Service Information booth to register your vehicle.
Check out Chimney Rock National Monument's hours, amenities, sites, maps and more in our Visitor Guide.
Beginning on May 15th, 2023, Chimney Rock will use a fee system. All vehicles and motorcycles will be subject to a activity pass fee - $20.00 / $10.00 (respectively). The activity pass fee provides 5 days of access to the 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 through the app OR
- Make your payment easier! Arrive on site and use the app to provide payment (Android or iOS) by scanning on site QR code.
- Interagency, Access, Senior, Military, and 4th grader park passes are accepted for National Monument access.
May 15th through October 15th from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Road access to the upper mesa is closed at 3:15, daily, in order to ensure the public is off the mesa by the site closure at 4:30. Please arrive no later than 3:15pm. This is the minimum amount of time needed to visit the main site and visitor center.
Chimney Rock National Monument is day use only and is available on a first-come, first served basis. Due to parking limitations at the upper parking lot, customers may occasionally need to wait at the visitor center.
From May 15 - October 15, call the Chimney Rock National Monument Visitor Center at (970) 883-2496
From October 1 - May 14, call Pagosa Ranger District Office at (970) 264-2268
For the Reservation Call Center for Special Programs, call (877) 44-6777
Interpretive Programming
Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) promotes public education, interpretation, and stewardship of culture and history through guided tours and special events of the Chimney Rock National historic site.
Guided Great House Tour: CRIA offers a guided tour on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday each week that the monument is open. Check-in at the plaza kiosk is at 10:00 a.m. with the tour beginning in the upper parking lot at 10:30 a.m.. Reservations can be made through Recreation.gov or its call center (877-444-6777). Walk-ins are welcome if room allows, and tickets can be purchased at the Gift Shop. Tickets are $12 for ages 13 and up, $6 for ages 5-12, under 5 free. Bring water, hat, sunscreen, bug repellant, and good walking shoes for the rough Great House trail.
Northern Major Lunar Standstill
The Northern Major Lunar Standstill (MLS) is an astronomical event that occurs every 18.6 years. It is visible from Chimney Rock National Monument where the moon aligns between the two sandstone spires, Chimney Rock and Companion Rock. The rising is visible for a few days throughout the year over the course of three years.
26 Native American Tribes Partners
Since Chimney Rock was designated a National Monument by the USDA Forest Service in 2012, SJNF has partnered with 26 Native American Tribes and Pueblos to design, construct and bless site amenities.
Chimney Rock Photos & Videos
Ancient Hertiage, Living Connections
A historical narrative produced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the San Juan National Forest, the San Juan Mountains Association, and New Mexico Highlands University.
Monument Designation
On September 21, 2012 President Barack Obama proclaimed Chimney Rock National Monument, making it the seventh national monument managed by the USDA Forest Service.