Chimney Rock Ruins

I've driven by Chimney Rock several times over the years, but never knew what was on top.

A thousand years ago, this was quite the community. You can see a few of the ruins on the self-guided hike of a small part of the archaeological area. The whole area contains more than 200 structures of the ancestral Puebloan people.

This is the Great Kiva. The experts think that Kivas were used for religious or community events. This one is unusual because it does not seem to have had a roof.

But to see the really good stuff, you have to go on a guided tour all the way up to the ruin on the top of the hill on the right.

Fortunately, the guide stops frequently for rests.

Almost there! The construction here seems to be much better than the ruins down below.

We're about level with the twin spires of Chimney Rock.

This is what the upper ruins look like from the air.

It's definitely worth the tour - $10 or $5 for us old people...

The ruins sure do look nice!

They may have had help from a little bit of restoration. (From a picture I found on the internet)