Chimney Rock National Monument
Declared a National Monument (NM) in 2012 by President Barak Obama, you won’t find it listed in the National Park Service passport or on the NPS app. Chimney Rock NM is one of the few National Monuments run by the Forest Service.
Located in Southwestern Colorado between Durango and Pagosa Springs, this is the northernmost outpost of the Chacoan people.
How did this park get its name?
It’s not hard to see how this park got its name. The most prominent rock formation, upon driving up to and entering the monument grounds, looks like the chimney on a roof.
History
Over 1,000 years ago Ancestral Puebloans called this area home. But what makes this site so special is that it was built to watch the sky. It also had the ability to send smoke signals to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.
Mesa Village Trail
This short (1/4 mile long) paved loop trail highlights views of the area, pithouses (unexcavated and excavated), and a reconstructed Great Kiva (community gathering place) built between ~994 – 1084 AD. A “great” kiva is greater than 35 feet across. This one is 44 feet and is the largest single room structure on the mesa.
Great House Trail
This unpaved, steep, moderately challenging trail takes us up to the Great House.
View
Along the way we get an incredible 270-degree view of the surrounding area.
It’s easy to see how smoke signals could be seen from Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon.
Great House
Once we reach the top, we’re greeted by volunteer Jürgen Goldmann. He takes us around and through Great House telling the history of the people who lived here, Great House’s construction (~1076 AD) & renovation (~1093 AD), the significance of the pillars, and the surrounding landscape. He is extremely knowledgeable and we’re lucky to have him to ourselves this afternoon.
Great House itself is and incredible structure consisting of 35 rooms and multiple kivas. It’s an example of Chacoan architecture vs the Mesa Verde architecture we’ve exploring for the past week.
From the very center of Great House, you can view a rare astronomical event and historians believe that this was why Great House was built in this specific location.
Northern Major Lunar Standstill
Once every 18.6 years the moon rises between the two pinnacles on the top of the hill. This phenomenon is called the Northern Major Lunar Standstill and is expected to happen again in 2040.
Night Sky Program
Having achieved the International Dark Sky designation, once a month the park hosts a night sky program for visitors and we’re lucky enough to be here on the appropriate date. The program explores why people have been fascinated with the night sky that’s visible from this spot for centuries and features discussions about the ancient Puebloans’ connection to the night sky.
After checking in, we head up the hill to the upper parking lot where volunteers have set up multiple telescopes. But before the stars appear, we’re treated to a tour around the Mesa Village Trail at sunset and two other short presentations about the night sky.
Sunset views
Night Sky
Once the sun goes down and the stars come out, the volunteers begin showing us planets, constellations, galaxies and so much more. The sky is perfectly clear but unfortunately the moon is very bright (despite only being a 1/4 moon) and is obscuring some of the things they want to show us with both telescopes and laser pointers.
It is a lovely evening, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to beat the night sky we had at Hovenweep a few weeks ago.
Next Stop… Waterfalls of Pagosa Springs, Colorado
