Chimney Rock National Monument

How to Get There

From Durango (47 mi): Take W 11th St to US-550 S/Camino Del Rio. Take US-160 E to CO-151 W in Archuleta County. Continue on CO-151 W. Drive to Forest Rd 617A.

Overview

Chimney Rock National Monument is a 4,726-acre (1,913 ha) U.S. National Monument in San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado which includes an archaeological site. This area is located in Archuleta County, Colorado, between Durango and Pagosa Springs, and is managed for archaeological protection, public interpretation, and education. The Chimney Rock Archaeological Site has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970. U.S. President Barack Obama created Chimney Rock National Monument by proclamation on September 21, 2012 under authority of the Antiquities Act.

Geography

The Great Kiva was built in AD 1084 as part of the Chimney Rock settlement. Originally, it would have had an adobe plaster exterior. It was reconstructed and stabilized in 1972.

Chimney Rock National Monument lies on 4,726 acres (19 km2) of San Juan National Forest land surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The Chimney Rock Archeological Area, listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, consists of a central 960 acres.

Chimney Rock itself is approximately 315 feet (96 m) tall. Next to Chimney Rock is Companion Rock, which is a popular nesting spot for the Peregrine Falcon.

The primary settlements that have been excavated lie on the ridge that eventually terminates at Chimney Rock. The ridge is mostly bedrock made of sandstone.

Guided and self-guided tours begin at the small visitor center at the base of the monument. The guided tour comes in two parts; a quarter mile paved pathway that winds through unexcavated sites and the Great Kiva and singular pithouse, and a third mile, more strenuous dirt and rock path that runs past the pit house complex, Rooms A-E, the Guardhouse, and Great House Pueblo. The tour lasts approximately 2 1/2 hours and gives detailed information of the inhabitants and their lives.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Chimney Rock National Monument", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0