Add this Amazing Archaeological Site to Your Colorado Bucket List

It's no secret that Colorado is home to countless natural wonders, but it's also home to some amazing manmade structures and ruins, some of which date back to ancient times.

Of course, one of the most famous places in the state and one of Colorado's four National Parks, Mesa Verde, fits this description, but this iconic attraction is not alone when it comes to ancient archaeological wonders.

Colorado's Chimney Rock National Monument is an Ancient Archaeological Wonder

In Archuleta County between Durango and Pagosa Springs sits a site similar to Mesa Verde in many ways known as Chimney Rock National Monument.

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Between 1970 and 2012, this archaeological wonder was known as the Chimney Rock Archaeological Site before being classified as Chimney Rock National Monument by then-U.S. President Barack Obama.

Archaeologists have dated the site as over 1,000 years old and many of the ruins of the structures built by the Ancestral Puebloans remain intact.

Chimney Rock National Monument is open to the public with a purchased pass, and visitors can choose to take on numerous hikes to experience the ruins and the monument's namesake Chimney Rock pinnacles.

However, due to protected falcons that have inhabited the areas surrounding the pinnacles, it is prohibited to venture all the way to the rock formations.

In any case, Chimney Rock National Monument is an absolutely gorgeous and fascinating Colorado landmark. Keep scrolling to take a virtual tour: