Chimney Rock National Monument
| Chimney Rock National Monument | |
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IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
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Chimney Rock is on the right, Companion Rock on the left
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| Location | Archuleta County, Colorado, USA |
| Nearest city | Chimney Rock, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 37°11′30″N 107°18′23″W / 37.1917°N 107.3064°WCoordinates: 37°11′30″N 107°18′23″W / 37.1917°N 107.3064°W |
| Area | 4,726 acres (1,913 ha) |
| Authorized | September 21, 2012 |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Chimney Rock National Monument |
| Designated | August 25, 1970 |
| Reference no. | 70000153 |
| Official name | Chimney Rock Archaeological Area |
| Reference no. | 5AA.985 |
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.
Chimney Rock lies on 4,726 acres (19 km2) of San Juan National Forest land surrounded by the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Chimney Rock itself occupies 1,000 acres (4 km2) of the site, and 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.
The rock itself is over 535 million years old, and offers 75-mile panoramic views of the local area. The Ancestral Puebloan site, designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, was a community inhabited between Durango and Pagosa Springs about 1,000 years ago with about 200 rooms. Rooms in the buildings were used for living, work areas and ceremonial purposes.
The site is located within the San Juan National Forest Archaeological Area on 4,100 acres of land. Between May 15 and September 30 the Visitor Center is open and guided walking tours are conducted daily.
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Wikipedia