Hiking Bandelier National Monument
Through our multiple visits to Bandelier National Monument, we have hiked a number of the trails that depart from the visitor center. The hiking here is very accessible and is friendly to the time-crunched traveler. I would highly recommend one of the trails that takes you through the ruins. This is a dream spot for kids to hike because they get to climb ladders and go through narrow passageways. Main Ruin Loop Trail Distance: 1.4 Miles Trail Type: Loop Elevation Gain: 291 feet Difficulty: Easy All Trails Map The Main Ruin Loop Trail begins and ends at the visitor center. The trail is 1.4 miles in length and is broken into two sections. The first section is paved and is handicap accessible. The second portion of the trail has some narrow sections of stairs to climb as you work your way up onto the cliffs sides to be able to access the carved out alcoves that were made in the side of the canyon for homes and storage. Ladders from the trail will allow adventurers to climb