Chimney Rock National Monument

About

Chimney Rock National Monument is located between the Town of Bayfield and the City of Pagosa Springs in Colorado. The monument comprises several physiographic areas, each characterized by distinctive geological, geomorphological, and archaeological resources. The monument is also home to abundant and diverse flora and fauna. This range of natural resources has attracted human inhabitants to the area for thousands of years, extending back as early as the Pueblo II Period (AD 900-1125).

Long-standing partnerships between the US Forest Service, Native American Tribes and Pueblos from the 4-Corners area, the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association, and local advocates for dark skies have made the effort for designation possible. Individuals from these partnership groups collected and compiled all necessary dark sky data, gathered lighting inventory of the monument, and collaborated on new dark sky education materials. Some of these new education tools included kiosk updates, pamphlets, and post cards for continued dark sky education at the monument. These efforts lead to the successful development of the DarkSky Park Certification and will continue to educate the public on the importance of dark sky preservation for years to come.

The monument provides scheduled programming and tours for the public from May 15^th through October 15^th, 7AM to 4:30PM, 7 days a week. Night sky programming is held after regular visiting hours on every other Friday of the month, as well as on nights where astronomical phenomena are predicted to be visible. The entirety of the monument is open to the public year-round, with foot access for afterhours activities, but the road closes to motor vehicles in the fall. Activities such as hiking, biking, and horseback riding occur prior to and during the seasonal closure to motor vehicles. 

Area

19.13 km²

Designated

2025

Category

Dark Sky Park

Address

30841 State HWY 151 
Pagosa Spring, Colorado 81147
Google Maps

Contact

Steven Hattenbach
Forest Supervisor, San Juan National Forest
(970) 385-1289
[email protected]

Michael Rymer
Community Program Manager
DarkSky International
+1 (520) 347-6365
[email protected]

Documents

Application
Announcement
Annual reports