Chimney Rock
Near Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Chimney Rock Visitors
The National Trust for Historic Preservation believes that Chimney Rock is arguably the most important cultural site managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Chimney Rock was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Between A.D. 925 and 1125, the ancestors of modern Pueblo Indians occupied the surrounding lands, and the site remains of cultural significance to many descendant tribes. Hundreds of cultural elements surround Chimney Rock's soaring twin rock spires, including the Great House Pueblo. Chimney Rock is the most northeasterly and highest (7,600 feet) Chacoan site known. Every 18.6 years the moon, as seen from the Great House Pueblo, rises between the rock spires during an event known as the Northern Lunar Standstill.
The site is open to the public between May and September and receives approximately 9,000 visitors a year. Still, it suffers from many of the problems that plague the USFS' Heritage Program, including the lack of a clear cultural resource preservation mandate and inadequate funding. Without the assistance of the non-profit Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA), which operates the site through a USFS special use permit, Chimney Rock would likely further deteriorate from neglect.
Chimney Rock Pueblo
The National Trust for Historic Preservation believes that National Monument designation would bring Chimney Rock the recognition, resources and protection it so clearly deserves. This designation would maintain USFS management, guided by a master plan crafted with community involvement. The National Trust for Historic Preservation recommends that the plan allow CRIA to continue to operate the site in partnership with the USFS and provide for continued access rights for tribes.
Please visit http://www.chimneyrockco.org/ to help plan your visit to the site.
