The Chimney Rock Archeological Area occupies 3,100 acres of the San Juan National Forest at an altitude of over 7500 feet. A pair of stone spires overlooking the Piedra River is the major attraction now as they were to the Chaco Anasazi. The Chacoans used the spires as a lunar observatory and built an L-shaped pueblo with 35 ground floor rooms, 2 kivas, and as many as 20 second floor rooms plus an isolated great kiva. There are also numerous contemporary structures built by local people.

Chimney Rock is open only 4.5 months a year, May 15 through September 30, and sites may be visited only on docent-guided tours. Typical tours include viewing the stone spires and visiting the great house, guardhouse, and great kiva as well as a handful of locally designed structures.

Neither lodging nor camping is available at the Archeological Area, but services are readily available along Highway 160, a few miles to the north.

The Anasazi Guide is loaded with information that will make your visit even more enjoyable. Chapter 16 includes directions, summarizes the Anasazi occupation, describes important archeological research, and offers suggestions  for making the most of your visit. 

Here's how blogger Douglas A. Palosaari descirbes his visit to Chimney Rock:

The guided tour has taken us along a path of discover. First visiting some of the first pit dwellings in the area. We see the progression as each new generation makes improvements on the buildings. Thicker walls, better construction. Mysterious markings, a perfect circular hole in a smooth rock outcropping. Perhaps a marking aligned to the stars and moon.

We finally reach the summit of Chimney Rock and discover one of the last of the great houses built in the Chaco style. It has a large Kiva and many rooms for storage. It’s different from all the other Pueblo structures at this site, in that it has doors to many of the rooms, so the occupants did not have to climb down from a whole in the roof.

You can also read a nice description and pictures of the principal trail at Chimney Rock along with links to descriptions of other trails on Four Corners Hikes.