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June Events at Chimney Rock National Monument

Press release from Chimney Rock Interpretive Association.

Photos Pagosa.com staff.

Enter the world of the Ancients at Chimney Rock National Monument this June!

Join us on Friday, June 7th for the first Night Sky Archaeoastronomy Program of the season. Your evening begins with a talk at the Visitor Center amphitheater. Topics range from what the ancient people noticed in the night sky to how a telescope helps us see stars and current topics in astronomy. As darkness descends, guests drive to the High Mesa parking lot where volunteer astronomers await with telescopes to provide a closer look at the wonders of the night sky. Each telescope will focus on a different feature and the volunteer will change that focus periodically during the two-hour viewing time. This program is perfect for young families and those with limited mobility. All guests for this program must be through the HWY 151 gate by 7:15pm; the opening program is scheduled from 7:30pm-8:30pm; with viewing from 9:00pm-10:45pm. Reservations are suggested as space is limited or tickets can be purchased at the Visitor Cabin prior to the program: $15 for adults and $7.50 for children 16 years and younger. Participants in the Night Sky Program are advised to come prepared with binoculars, water (which is also for sale at the cabin), flashlights, blankets and coats.

It was noted that the dances, among other things, are done to promote rain. The audience looked up to see a big black thunderhead cloud rising from what had been a cloudless blue sky. It was a goosebump moment!

Visions of Chimney Rock will take place on Sunday June 16 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.. This free program takes a particular topic and explores it in depth. Examples are the native foods eaten by the Ancestral Puebloans, their pottery, or their music and instruments. This is a kids-friendly, typically hands-on program limited to a small group so reservations are required. This does not replace our regular walking tours, but rather expands on of the many topics covered on a tour. The program is suitable for those with limited time and people who cannot do the walking tour, especially older adults and young children, those with physical limitations, and those who work during the week. Please reserve your spot by calling site. Walk-in’s will be accommodated first come first serve up to 25 people.

 

On Friday, June 21st observe the summer solstice amid the ancient ruins of Chimney Rock mesa. Attendees enter the National Monument in pre-dawn darkness and meet a volunteer program leader who will escort them to two special places on Chimney Rock mesa. First, an unexcavated ruin, now called the Sun Tower, offers a dramatic vantage point to watch the sun rise over a notch in the San Juan Mountains. A Stone Circle carved into the bedrock below the Great House Pueblo offers a second opportunity to see the sun rise again over the Great House Pueblo’s north wall. The volunteer program leader describes several alignments at Chimney Rock and their possible importance to ancient residents. All guests for this program must be through the HWY 151 gate by 5:05am. Sunrise is at approximately 5:48am. Tickets for this program are $15 and reservations are required.

On Saturday, June 22nd, the full moon program occurs against the backdrop of the Great House Pueblo at the top of Chimney Rock Mesa. The nearly 360 degree view of the mountain-studded horizon provides the dramatic celestial observatory valued so highly by the Ancient Puebloans. A speaker tells the story of the people and their likely relationship with the moon, sun, and stars. Watch the full moon rise over the eastern mountain peaks to the music of a Native American flute. You’ll be torn between looking west to see the spectacular sunset or focusing on the eastern mountain range to see the first sliver of moon. Volunteers light the trail down from the mesa top after the program. The program last approximately 4 hours including check-in, driving to the mesa top, and walking to the site. The hike to the Great House Pueblo is short but moderately strenuous and not appropriate for those with mobility impairment or children under 12 years old. Tickets are $15; add $5 for an early tour of the lower area (Great Kiva Trail Loop), which starts at 4:45pm. All guests for this program must be through the HWY 151 gate by 6:00pm. The program begins at 6:45pm. Bring flashlights, water (also for sale at the cabin), cushions, and blankets or coats. After the Full Moon Program, guests will be given the opportunity to join us for the Full Moon Viewing Program where guests will be able to view the surface of the moon with our wonderful telescopes! Cost for this program is only $5.00.

 

The Life at Chimney Rock Festival will take place on June 29th and 30th. This free, family-oriented festival is held at Chimney Rock’s Visitor Center area. Step back in time as volunteers and artisans demonstrate ancient tools and crafts. Visitors may make a pot, throw an atlatl (a type of throwing spear), pound yucca leaves to release their fibers, carve their own petroglyph, grind corn with a mano and metate, watch a volunteer spin dog hair using a drop spindle, see an expert flint knapper create hand tools, and learn how a Native American makes his own flutes. The festival is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and includes Native American arts and crafts for sale. This special event does not require reservations and does not have a limit to number of people.

 

 

 

Chimney Rock Archaeology Area is located 17 miles west of Pagosa Springs on Highway 160 and three miles south on Highway 151. Turn right at the gate and follow the road one half mile to the cabin registration area where the tours begin. No reservations are needed for the tours. All programs are sponsored by Chimney Rock Interpretive Assn., Inc., in partnership with the USDA Forest Service and theSan Juan National Forest. Visit our website at www.chimneyrockco.org.