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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> Colorado >> Chimney Rock National Monument – Colorado tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Chimney Rock National Monument – Colorado

Images of Chimney Rock National Monument – Colorado, taken in June 2025.

Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Chimney Rock National Monument is an archaeological site dedicated to preserving the architecture of the Ancestral Puebloan peoples who lived here from about 900 AD to 1150 AD. The Great House is representative of the style of the northern expansion of the Chacoan culture which was centered in northwestern New Mexico.

It was only a short three-tenths of a mile hike to the Great House and the Chimney Rock pinnacles. However, at an elevation of 7,600 feet with a 300-foot elevation gain on the trail, that “short” hike was strenuous to say the least. Add to that some thunderstorms in the area, and you get a very interesting afternoon. Ultimately, after surviving the arduous climb and avoiding being struck by lightning, exploring the ruins and the view of the surrounding area was very rewarding.
The Chimney Rock pinnacles from below in Chimney Rock NM
The Chimney Rock pinnacles from below in Chimney Rock NM 		Sunlight casts the silhouettes of the constellations through a canopy in Chimney Rock NM
Sunlight casts the silhouettes of the constellations through a canopy in Chimney Rock NM		 Kiva of the Ridge House in Chimney Rock NM
Kiva of the Ridge House in Chimney Rock NM		 An exterior wall of the Ridge House in Chimney Rock NM
An exterior wall of the Ridge House in Chimney Rock NM		 Rain falls in the distance as seen from Chimney Rock NM
Rain falls in the distance as seen from Chimney Rock NM
Outer wall of the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
Outer wall of the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 Long wall of the Great House along the Great House Trail in Chimney Rock NM
Long wall of the Great House along the Great House Trail in Chimney Rock NM		 Companion Rock and Chimney Rock from the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
Companion Rock and Chimney Rock from the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 Structure built on the exterior of the Great house in Chimney Rock NM
Structure built on the exterior of the Great house in Chimney Rock NM		 A cactus grows from the base of an exterior wall of the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
A cactus grows from the base of an exterior wall of the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
The Chimney Rock pinnacles tower over the Colorado Plateau in Chimney Rock NM
The Chimney Rock pinnacles tower over the Colorado Plateau in Chimney Rock NM		 One of two kivas (upper) at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
One of two kivas (upper) at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 The lower kiva at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
The lower kiva at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 The Chimney Rock pinnacles loom over a kiva in the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
The Chimney Rock pinnacles loom over a kiva in the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 Rooms surrounding a kiva at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
Rooms surrounding a kiva at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
Looking toward the Chimney Rock pinnacles at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
Looking toward the Chimney Rock pinnacles at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 View of the surrounding area from inside the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
View of the surrounding area from inside the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 View of one of the kivas and adjacent rooms at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
View of one of the kivas and adjacent rooms at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 Exterior walls at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
Exterior walls at the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 Closeup of Companion Rock and Chimney Rock in Chimney Rock NM
Closeup of Companion Rock and Chimney Rock in Chimney Rock NM
View of the landscape from the Great House in Chimney Rock NM
View of the landscape from the Great House in Chimney Rock NM		 A twisted tree along the Great House Trail in Chimney Rock NM
A twisted tree along the Great House Trail in Chimney Rock NM		 Dead tree against a partly cloudy sky along the Great House Trail in Chimney Rock NM
Dead tree against a partly cloudy sky along the Great House Trail in Chimney Rock NM		 Chimney Rock pinnacles as seen from the road to the peaks in Chimney Rock NM
Chimney Rock pinnacles as seen from the road to the peaks in Chimney Rock NM		 The Chimney Rock pinnacles from the park road in Chimney Rock NM
The Chimney Rock pinnacles from the park road in Chimney Rock NM

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Kris Kane 13-Jun-2025 14:41
Jerry, thank you for these wonderful photos of Chimney Rock. As a fan of Tony Hillerman novels, I have always been intrigued by the locations he included in his mystery novels, but have not been able to visit in person. I had not realized that this was also a location with preserved architecture. Thanks again!.
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