Mark P Betts
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock and Abandoned Trading Post
When you travel south on US 491 out of Cortez, Colorado, you are treated to a wonderful view of the west face of the Mesa Verde Plateau. There are several erosional outliers just to west of the retreating Point Lookout sandstone face which caps the Mesa. Chimney Rock is one of those outliers.The pillar of Point Lookout sandstone sits atop a cone of much softer Mancos shale. The Monument Valley Uplift and later Navajo Volcanic Field activity have tilted this area slightly to the east although the Mesa tilts mainly to the south. The western edge of the Mesa Verde Plateau has been slowly eroding and retreating to the east following the tilt. Every so often, a harder part of the Point Lookout sandstone refuses to fall and creates one of these outliers.
If you take the Mancos Canyon Road off of US 491, you will be able to slowly circle Chimney Rock; passing to the north and then the east of the famous landmark. As you are passing Chimney Rock on you western beam, you will come to an old, abandoned trading post made out of stone from the Point Lookout sandstone. Even though it is abandoned, I admired how its design echoed Chimney Rock itself.
S0A0189
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock and Abandoned Trading Post
When you travel south on US 491 out of Cortez, Colorado, you are treated to a wonderful view of the west face of the Mesa Verde Plateau. There are several erosional outliers just to west of the retreating Point Lookout sandstone face which caps the Mesa. Chimney Rock is one of those outliers.The pillar of Point Lookout sandstone sits atop a cone of much softer Mancos shale. The Monument Valley Uplift and later Navajo Volcanic Field activity have tilted this area slightly to the east although the Mesa tilts mainly to the south. The western edge of the Mesa Verde Plateau has been slowly eroding and retreating to the east following the tilt. Every so often, a harder part of the Point Lookout sandstone refuses to fall and creates one of these outliers.
If you take the Mancos Canyon Road off of US 491, you will be able to slowly circle Chimney Rock; passing to the north and then the east of the famous landmark. As you are passing Chimney Rock on you western beam, you will come to an old, abandoned trading post made out of stone from the Point Lookout sandstone. Even though it is abandoned, I admired how its design echoed Chimney Rock itself.
S0A0189