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