Tuesday, May 16 2023
Geology Morning Tour @ Chimney Rock National Monument
Chimney Rock National Monument
3179 CO-151
Chimney Rock, Colorado
This 2.5 hour guided tour explores local geology and its relationship to the daily lives of the ancestral Puebloans who lived at Chimney Rock. Tour participants will hear the events in the ancient geology of the area and learn how to identify a common trace fossil in the area. Rock types impact structures, pottery, tools, and soil productivity; geologic processes determine the landscape, and, at Chimney Rock, play a central role in climate. The relationship between the pillars and the South San Juan Mountains in terms of astronomical observations will be discussed.
No prior knowledge of geology is assumed.
The hike up to the Chacoan Great House Pueblo offers great views and photo opportunities, but may be difficult for some due to the steep gradient, uneven footing, and elevation ending at 7600 feet. Participants should be in reasonable physical condition and willing to hike mostly uphill for 1/3 mile (and return steeply downhill). The tour length includes 30 minutes for hiking to and from the Great House.
Guests must enter through the Hwy 151 entry gate during the check-in period stated below; the gate will be locked at the end of that time.
These are reservations-only programs. The fee is $16.00 for adults and $8.00 for ages 5-12 and is considered a non-refundable and non-transferable donation. A booking fee applies to each ticket purchased online or through the call center. Making a reservation through the call center or website is the only way to guarantee a spot on this tour.
Most programs are at full capacity prior to the event but we will accommodate walk-ins if space is available. Booking fees do not apply to walk-ins. Reservations strongly recommended. Limited space. Walk-ins on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Program Dates/Times:
Tuesdays & Saturdays (Morning):
Check-in: 7:45 – 8:00 AM; Program: 8:00 – 10:30 AM
Standard Amenity Fee:
There is a $20/car or $10/motorcycle standard amenity fee for day use that is good for 5 days from the date of purchase.
– Pay the standard amenity fee in advance here: Recreation.gov
– Download the Recreation.gov Mobile APP - to purchase your pass in advance
– Pay with cash or credit card when you arrive
– Interagency, Access, Senior, Military, and 4th grader park passes will be accepted
for National Monument access.
There is a separate fee for programs/tours.
Chimney Rock National Monument is day use only. Due to parking limitations at the upper parking lot, customers may occasionally need to wait at the visitor center.
None of the ancient structures are visible from the parking lot.
Special Programs and/or tours may be canceled due to threatening weather. If so, Rain Checks will be available.
There is no water at the site. Bottled water can be purchased at the Gift Shop.
All fees are considered as donations and are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Please wear sturdy shoes, sun protection, and proper clothing for high desert elevation with potential weather changes.
Pets (except for service animals) are not permitted on the interpretive trails. Please do not leave pets in your vehicle or tied outside as there is no shade. A shaded, unmonitored, kennel is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Kennel locks are available to borrow from the Visitor Center. Dog owners must provide dog water.
There is limited power and phone service available.
Picnic tables and restrooms are available near the Visitor Center.
Guided Great House Walking Tour
Tour takes visitors 1/3 of a mile up the Great Pueblo Trail and makes several stops along the way to enjoy the ancient Puebloan structures built over 1000 years ago. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday mornings. $6-$12. $20 USFS use fee/vehicle activity pass. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Check-in at plaza kiosk 10am. 10:30am-12pm.
Live Music @ The Springs Resort Lodge Atrium
Live Music & cocktails with John Blackdog. Discover your soul while listening to a blend of music that will rejuvenate your body. 5-7pm.
Live Music @ El Camino Lounge & Grill at Motel SOCO
Food, beverages, and Live Music with CW Ayon Duo. 5-8pm.
Food, Beverages, and Live Music with Unexpected Em. 5:30-8:30pm.
Live Music @ Coyote Moon Lounge
Food, Beverages, and Live Music with Vincent Koehl. 6pm.
The 38th Annual Colorfest Passport to Pagosa Wine & Food Festival @ Town Park Athletic Field
Annual wine and food festival highlighting delicious domestic and international wines with some of Pagosa's best restaurants and food vendors. Included with the ticket price comes seating, wine and food tickets, and a VIP gift. Wonderful live entertainment with crooner Maxwell Miller will enhance the evening. 6-9pm. Ages 21+. $100.
Food, wine & live music with La La Bones. Bluegrass at it's best. 6-9pm.
Live Music @ Kip's Grill & Cantina
Food, beverages, and Live Music with A-Mac and the Height. 6-9pm.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice @ Liberty Theatre
Rated PG-13. Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice's name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. 7pm.
Aspen House Color Run @ Yamaguchi Park
Add to the fun of Colorfest Weekend by participating in the Color Run, a fun family event for walkers and runners of all levels. Registration 7:30am. Run starts at 8am.
Colorfest @ Downtown Pagosa Springs
Colorfest is brought to you by The Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. This is an activity-packed weekend for the whole family here in Pagosa! The Hot Air Balloon Mass Ascensions, Passport to Pagosa Wine and Food Festival, Bands & Brews Festival, Color Run 5K Run/Walk, and much more!
Birding Tour @ Chimney Rock National Monument
A fun and casual 2-hour bird-walk led by a knowledgeable birding guide from the Weminuche Audubon Society. Designed to introduce you to the diverse community of birds that spend their summer here. Birders of all skill levels are welcome to participate. Your guide will help you identify various species and explain the unique adaptations that allow these birds to survive here. $20. 8-10am.
The 2.5 hour guided tour explores local geology and its relationship to the daily lives of the ancestral Puebloans. Hike up to the Chacoan Great House Pueblo. Guests must meet their guide at the Hwy 151 entry gate during check-in. Tickets: $20, ages 13 & up; $10, 5-12. Check-in 7:45-8am. 8-10:30am.
Plein Air Workshop @ Chimney Rock National Monument
The Plein Air Workshop is offered once a month on a Saturday. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the process of "plein air" painting, the act of painting outdoors to capture the spirit and essence of a landscape by incorporating natural light, color, and movement. In essence, learning to capture the outdoors while outdoors and, of course, featuring the wonderfully scenic vistas at Chimney Rock National Monument. Check-in 7:45am.
The 38th Annual Colorfest Mass Hot Air Balloon Launch @ Downtown Pagosa Springs
Over 40 balloons fill the sky each morning for the mass balloon ascension! On Saturday morning, watch them lift off from downtown Pagosa Springs, and on Sunday, see them float over the Uptown area (Park Ave.) Free to the public. 8am.
Arts & Crafts Vendors and Farmers Market @ East Side Market
Our Market features a great selection of handmade merchandise direct from local craftsmen, including organic soaps and lotions, handmade clothing, jewelry, fine woodwork, handcrafted pottery, Native American jewelry and pottery, and metal art. We also have terrific food, with fresh baked bread, organic produce, raw honey, Hatch chile spice blends, CBD products and more. 9am-3pm. Open stage for aspiring musicians 11am-1:30pm. Contact Jeff to play esmpagosa@gmail.com or 970-507-0321.
Pagosa Farmers Market @ Tennyson Sculpture Garden & Park
Farmers Market featuring locally harvested fruits and vegetables, locally produced meats, handmade baked breads and pastries, healthy prepped meals to-go, locally roasted coffee, honey, flowers and more. 9am-1pm.
Guided Great House Walking Tour
Tour takes visitors 1/3 of a mile up the Great Pueblo Trail and makes several stops along the way to enjoy the ancient Puebloan structures built over 1000 years ago. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday mornings. $6-$12. $20 USFS use fee/vehicle activity pass. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Check-in at plaza kiosk 10am. 10:30am-12pm.
Sound Journey @ The Edge of Silence
Come and experience the healing benefits of epic spacial vibrations produced by large gongs, singing bowls and other sound instruments made out of new and ancient metals, clay and wood. These unique instruments will surround you in our 1300 square feet acoustical sound space. Sound Journey is 1 hour in length. Yoga mats, blankets, and neck pillows are provided. Bring eye masks and knee support if preferred. Arrive by 12:40pm for 1 pm sound journey. $25.
American Classic: Little Shop of Horrors @ Liberty Theatre
Rated PG-13. Meek flower shop assistant Seymour (Rick Moranis) pines for co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene). During a total eclipse, he discovers an unusual plant he names Audrey II, which feeds only on human flesh and blood. The growing plant attracts a great deal of business for the previously struggling store. After Seymour feeds Audrey's boyfriend, Orin (Steve Martin), to the plant after Orin's accidental death, he must come up with more bodies for the increasingly bloodthirsty plant. 2pm.
Guided Great House Walking Tour
Tour takes visitors 1/3 of a mile up the Great Pueblo Trail and makes several stops along the way to enjoy the ancient Puebloan structures built over 1000 years ago. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday mornings. $6-$12. $20 USFS use fee/vehicle activity pass. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Check-in at plaza kiosk 10am. 10:30am-12pm.
Live Music @ The Springs Resort Lodge Atrium
Live Music & cocktails with John Blackdog. Discover your soul while listening to a blend of music that will rejuvenate your body. 5-7pm.
Live Music @ El Camino Lounge & Grill at Motel SOCO
Food, beverages, and Live Music with CW Ayon Duo. 5-8pm.
Food, Beverages, and Live Music with Unexpected Em. 5:30-8:30pm.
Live Music @ Coyote Moon Lounge
Food, Beverages, and Live Music with Vincent Koehl. 6pm.
The 38th Annual Colorfest Passport to Pagosa Wine & Food Festival @ Town Park Athletic Field
Annual wine and food festival highlighting delicious domestic and international wines with some of Pagosa's best restaurants and food vendors. Included with the ticket price comes seating, wine and food tickets, and a VIP gift. Wonderful live entertainment with crooner Maxwell Miller will enhance the evening. 6-9pm. Ages 21+. $100.
Food, wine & live music with La La Bones. Bluegrass at it's best. 6-9pm.
Live Music @ Kip's Grill & Cantina
Food, beverages, and Live Music with A-Mac and the Height. 6-9pm.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice @ Liberty Theatre
Rated PG-13. Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice's name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. 7pm.
Aspen House Color Run @ Yamaguchi Park
Add to the fun of Colorfest Weekend by participating in the Color Run, a fun family event for walkers and runners of all levels. Registration 7:30am. Run starts at 8am.
Colorfest @ Downtown Pagosa Springs
Colorfest is brought to you by The Pagosa Springs Area Chamber of Commerce. This is an activity-packed weekend for the whole family here in Pagosa! The Hot Air Balloon Mass Ascensions, Passport to Pagosa Wine and Food Festival, Bands & Brews Festival, Color Run 5K Run/Walk, and much more!
Birding Tour @ Chimney Rock National Monument
A fun and casual 2-hour bird-walk led by a knowledgeable birding guide from the Weminuche Audubon Society. Designed to introduce you to the diverse community of birds that spend their summer here. Birders of all skill levels are welcome to participate. Your guide will help you identify various species and explain the unique adaptations that allow these birds to survive here. $20. 8-10am.
The 2.5 hour guided tour explores local geology and its relationship to the daily lives of the ancestral Puebloans. Hike up to the Chacoan Great House Pueblo. Guests must meet their guide at the Hwy 151 entry gate during check-in. Tickets: $20, ages 13 & up; $10, 5-12. Check-in 7:45-8am. 8-10:30am.
Plein Air Workshop @ Chimney Rock National Monument
The Plein Air Workshop is offered once a month on a Saturday. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the process of "plein air" painting, the act of painting outdoors to capture the spirit and essence of a landscape by incorporating natural light, color, and movement. In essence, learning to capture the outdoors while outdoors and, of course, featuring the wonderfully scenic vistas at Chimney Rock National Monument. Check-in 7:45am.
The 38th Annual Colorfest Mass Hot Air Balloon Launch @ Downtown Pagosa Springs
Over 40 balloons fill the sky each morning for the mass balloon ascension! On Saturday morning, watch them lift off from downtown Pagosa Springs, and on Sunday, see them float over the Uptown area (Park Ave.) Free to the public. 8am.
Arts & Crafts Vendors and Farmers Market @ East Side Market
Our Market features a great selection of handmade merchandise direct from local craftsmen, including organic soaps and lotions, handmade clothing, jewelry, fine woodwork, handcrafted pottery, Native American jewelry and pottery, and metal art. We also have terrific food, with fresh baked bread, organic produce, raw honey, Hatch chile spice blends, CBD products and more. 9am-3pm. Open stage for aspiring musicians 11am-1:30pm. Contact Jeff to play esmpagosa@gmail.com or 970-507-0321.
Pagosa Farmers Market @ Tennyson Sculpture Garden & Park
Farmers Market featuring locally harvested fruits and vegetables, locally produced meats, handmade baked breads and pastries, healthy prepped meals to-go, locally roasted coffee, honey, flowers and more. 9am-1pm.
Guided Great House Walking Tour
Tour takes visitors 1/3 of a mile up the Great Pueblo Trail and makes several stops along the way to enjoy the ancient Puebloan structures built over 1000 years ago. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday mornings. $6-$12. $20 USFS use fee/vehicle activity pass. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Check-in at plaza kiosk 10am. 10:30am-12pm.
Sound Journey @ The Edge of Silence
Come and experience the healing benefits of epic spacial vibrations produced by large gongs, singing bowls and other sound instruments made out of new and ancient metals, clay and wood. These unique instruments will surround you in our 1300 square feet acoustical sound space. Sound Journey is 1 hour in length. Yoga mats, blankets, and neck pillows are provided. Bring eye masks and knee support if preferred. Arrive by 12:40pm for 1 pm sound journey. $25.
American Classic: Little Shop of Horrors @ Liberty Theatre
Rated PG-13. Meek flower shop assistant Seymour (Rick Moranis) pines for co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene). During a total eclipse, he discovers an unusual plant he names Audrey II, which feeds only on human flesh and blood. The growing plant attracts a great deal of business for the previously struggling store. After Seymour feeds Audrey's boyfriend, Orin (Steve Martin), to the plant after Orin's accidental death, he must come up with more bodies for the increasingly bloodthirsty plant. 2pm.
Guided Great House Walking Tour
Tour takes visitors 1/3 of a mile up the Great Pueblo Trail and makes several stops along the way to enjoy the ancient Puebloan structures built over 1000 years ago. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday mornings. $6-$12. $20 USFS use fee/vehicle activity pass. Recommended for ages 5 & up. Check-in at plaza kiosk 10am. 10:30am-12pm.
Live Music @ The Springs Resort Lodge Atrium
Live Music & cocktails with John Blackdog. Discover your soul while listening to a blend of music that will rejuvenate your body. 5-7pm.
Live Music @ El Camino Lounge & Grill at Motel SOCO
Food, beverages, and Live Music with CW Ayon Duo. 5-8pm.
Food, Beverages, and Live Music with Unexpected Em. 5:30-8:30pm.
Live Music @ Coyote Moon Lounge
Food, Beverages, and Live Music with Vincent Koehl. 6pm.
The 38th Annual Colorfest Passport to Pagosa Wine & Food Festival @ Town Park Athletic Field
Annual wine and food festival highlighting delicious domestic and international wines with some of Pagosa's best restaurants and food vendors. Included with the ticket price comes seating, wine and food tickets, and a VIP gift. Wonderful live entertainment with crooner Maxwell Miller will enhance the evening. 6-9pm. Ages 21+. $100.
Food, wine & live music with La La Bones. Bluegrass at it's best. 6-9pm.
Live Music @ Kip's Grill & Cantina
Food, beverages, and Live Music with A-Mac and the Height. 6-9pm.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice @ Liberty Theatre
Rated PG-13. Three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia's life soon gets turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter discovers a mysterious portal to the afterlife. When someone says Beetlejuice's name three times, the mischievous demon gleefully returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. 7pm.
Aspen House Color Run @ Yamaguchi Park
Add to the fun of Colorfest Weekend by participating in the Color Run, a fun family event for walkers and runners of all levels. Registration 7:30am. Run starts at 8am.