Entry No. 73 — the Durango file — filed under: after-dark

Chimney Rock National Monument Night Sky Program

Chimney Rock is a certified International Dark Sky Park perched in a remote, undeveloped valley where Ancestral Puebloans aligned their high mesa structures to the moon's 18.6-year lunar standstill. On scheduled summer evenings, guides weave together talks about the Puebloans' connection to the sky, constellations and observable planets; bring your own binoculars for personal viewing (telescopes may or may not be available). The 2026 night-sky evenings run June 20, July 18, August 15, and September 12.

The move: Reserve the two-hour evening program, then watch the Milky Way rise over thousand-year-old stone ruins while a guide laser-points constellations the ancient builders once tracked.

📍 Before you go Reserve via Recreation.gov or 877-444-6777; $20 ages 13+, $10 ages 5-12; reservations cut off 12 hours prior. About 50 miles east of Durango.

• 📍 between Pagosa Springs and Durango
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 3179 CO-151, Chimney Rock, CO (San Juan National Forest)

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23