Bandelier National Monument - The Basics
Bandelier National Monument is located near Los Alamos, NM, and is on the eastern slope of the Jemez Mountains. Once the home of ancient Pueblo people, the national monument is a great place to explore a diverse ecosystem and the cultures that have inhabited the area over the years. The park only has 3 miles of road but has over 70 miles of trails on over 33,000 acres of land. Created in 1916, the park is probably best known for its ruins of ancient people who lived amongst the cliffs and eventually developed a large village on the valley floor below.
The Frijoles Canyon is a hub for the activities at Bandelier National Monument and the park's visitor center. Located at the base of the canyon, the road winds down the side of the canyon to a small parking area. Parking is very tight here, and in the summer months (May 16 - October 16), visitors must take a shuttle from the nearby town of White Rock which also hosts a new visitors center. The shuttles run every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. Want to try and park at the Frijoles Canyon visitors center? Arrive early before the shuttles start running and before the lot has filled up.
The visitors center is an adobe-style building, and hosts exhibit the Pueblo people who inhabited this area. A very nice gift shop carries an amazing stock of local jewelry, pots, and other collectible pieces made by the native people who live on the nearby reservations. There is also a spot to get food items if you get hungry. At select times throughout the year, the visitor center will host local artisans who will show their craft out on the covered patio in the back of the visitors center. The visitor center hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with extended hours until 6:00 pm in the summer. A junior ranger program here will help you learn more about the people who lived in the Pueblo you are visiting.
The forest around Bandelier has suffered greatly from forest fires both within the boundaries of the park and the surrounding national forest lands. While desert canyons can already be prone to flooding, the impact of fires makes the possibility of flooding even great. The rainy season at Bandelier is July- September when the summer monsoons can bring thunderstorms that can quickly release a lot of rain. You want to be careful of flooding in the main canyon as well as any smaller tributaries. Remember that the rain could be miles away, but the draining could be headed your way. This flash flood would have been over six feet of water.
From the back of the visitors center, you can begin to explore the ruins or start your hike out into the wilderness.
In addition to the main park centered around Frijoles Canyon, another part of the park is less traveled because it is 12 miles northeast of the main area with just a parking area along highway 4 marking its location. The Tsankawi ruins site is worth the time to stop, explore and hike in this area. A loop trail will take you to some great cave dwellings and along pathways that were traveled by the people who lived here as they made their way to and from their homes in the cliffs to the surrounding canyons below.
The Details:
Park Entry Fee: Yes - $25.00 per vehicle, includes all individuals in the vehicle.
Visitor Center:✯✯✯
Facilities: ✯✯✯✯
Helpful Rangers: ✯✯✯✯✯
Gift Shop: ✯✯✯✯✯
On-Site Food: ✯✯✯
Where to Stay:
Three towns are close to Bandelier have places to stay; Los Alamos, Espanola, and White Rock. Bandelier is close enough to Santa Fe to make it a day trip if you are staying in Santa Fe already.
Los Alamos:
Holiday Inn and Suites
I have stayed here, and it was a good stay. Rates for summer dates are about $140 per night. It is located on the east side of town near the mesa's edge.
The Frijoles Canyon is a hub for the activities at Bandelier National Monument and the park's visitor center. Located at the base of the canyon, the road winds down the side of the canyon to a small parking area. Parking is very tight here, and in the summer months (May 16 - October 16), visitors must take a shuttle from the nearby town of White Rock which also hosts a new visitors center. The shuttles run every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends. Want to try and park at the Frijoles Canyon visitors center? Arrive early before the shuttles start running and before the lot has filled up.
The visitors center is an adobe-style building, and hosts exhibit the Pueblo people who inhabited this area. A very nice gift shop carries an amazing stock of local jewelry, pots, and other collectible pieces made by the native people who live on the nearby reservations. There is also a spot to get food items if you get hungry. At select times throughout the year, the visitor center will host local artisans who will show their craft out on the covered patio in the back of the visitors center. The visitor center hours are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with extended hours until 6:00 pm in the summer. A junior ranger program here will help you learn more about the people who lived in the Pueblo you are visiting.
The forest around Bandelier has suffered greatly from forest fires both within the boundaries of the park and the surrounding national forest lands. While desert canyons can already be prone to flooding, the impact of fires makes the possibility of flooding even great. The rainy season at Bandelier is July- September when the summer monsoons can bring thunderstorms that can quickly release a lot of rain. You want to be careful of flooding in the main canyon as well as any smaller tributaries. Remember that the rain could be miles away, but the draining could be headed your way. This flash flood would have been over six feet of water.
From the back of the visitors center, you can begin to explore the ruins or start your hike out into the wilderness.
In addition to the main park centered around Frijoles Canyon, another part of the park is less traveled because it is 12 miles northeast of the main area with just a parking area along highway 4 marking its location. The Tsankawi ruins site is worth the time to stop, explore and hike in this area. A loop trail will take you to some great cave dwellings and along pathways that were traveled by the people who lived here as they made their way to and from their homes in the cliffs to the surrounding canyons below.
The Details:
Park Entry Fee: Yes - $25.00 per vehicle, includes all individuals in the vehicle.
Visitor Center:✯✯✯
Facilities: ✯✯✯✯
Helpful Rangers: ✯✯✯✯✯
Gift Shop: ✯✯✯✯✯
On-Site Food: ✯✯✯
Where to Stay:
Three towns are close to Bandelier have places to stay; Los Alamos, Espanola, and White Rock. Bandelier is close enough to Santa Fe to make it a day trip if you are staying in Santa Fe already.
Los Alamos:
Holiday Inn and Suites
I have stayed here, and it was a good stay. Rates for summer dates are about $140 per night. It is located on the east side of town near the mesa's edge.
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