Entry No. 82 — the Durango file — filed under: after-dark

Chimney Rock National Monument Night Sky Programs

At Colorado's certified International Dark Sky Park, the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association runs after-hours night sky programs on select Saturday evenings June through September. Programs blend a guided look at constellations, planets and galaxies (telescopes set up when conditions and volunteers allow) with talks on how the Ancestral Puebloans who built atop this mesa tracked the sky, plus an optional walk toward the ancient great house. It's stargazing layered directly over a thousand-year-old astronomical site known for its lunar-standstill alignments.

The move: Drive out to the dark mesa for an evening telescope session and learn how the Ancestral Puebloans aligned their great house to the moon while you take turns at the eyepiece.

📍 Before you go Roughly 50 miles east of Durango; programs run only on select Friday nights (and one August Saturday), weather-dependent, ticketed (about $20 adult). Reserve ahead via chimneyrockco.org.

• 📍 Chimney Rock (near Pagosa Springs)
• 💸 $
• ⚡ Low-key
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: Chimney Rock National Monument, 3179 CO-151, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147

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