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Bandelier National Monument is a great place for both solitude and archaeology lovers. It protects a beautiful canyon in New Mexico and several Native American dwellings and petroglyphs.
Introduction to Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument was created on February 11, 1916. It’s named for Adolph Bandelier (1840-1914), a Swiss-born anthropologist who researched the cultures of the area. The park’s infrastructure was developed between 1933 and 1941 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Bandelier National Monument covers an area of 33,677 acres (136.29 square kilometers) and encompasses Frijoles Canyon. Within the park you’ll find pueblo structures dating between 1150 and 1600, more than 70 miles (110 kilometers) of hiking trails, and lots of wildlife. Some of the animals living within the boundaries include mountain lions, black bears, deer, elk, rattlesnakes, tarantulas, and several species of birds.
Planning Your Trip to Bandelier National Monument
I spent about a half day at Bandelier. It was the perfect amount of time to see the most important section of the park as well as get in a couple of hikes. If you’re looking to get away from humans for a while, you can spend another day or three in the park doing backcountry hikes and enjoying nature. Check the official website for more info.
Before getting into some of the trails and highlights of the park, here’s some essential information to help you plan your trip:
Entrance Fees at Bandelier National Monument
The entrance fee to Bandelier varies depending on your mode of transportation. Prices are current as of October 2025:
- For private vehicles, it’s US$25.
- For motorcycles, it’s US$20.
- For visitors entering on bicycle or on foot, it’s US$15 for adults and free for kids under 16.
- Holders of any interagency pass are covered for one vehicle or four per person fees.
Entrance fees are good for seven days. The park is open year-round.
Shuttles
Due to extremely limited parking at the visitor center, the only way to get to the main part of the park between 9am and 3pm from mid-May to mid-October is to take a free shuttle bus from a parking lot near the campground. You can also take the shuttle from the White Rock Visitor Center. The shuttle runs in 30 minute intervals from 9am to 5pm. From late October to early May, and before 9am or after 3pm, private vehicles are welcome.
Frijoles Canyon Visitor Center
The Frijoles Canyon Visitor Center is the only visitor center at the park. It’s located at the bottom of Frijoles Canyon and is open year-round. The Main Loop Trail, which leads to the most accessible archaeological sites in the park, is accessed from the visitor center.
Inside the visitor center, there’s a museum with excellent displays about the human history of the park and the lives of Ancestral Puebloans. A 10-minute introductory video gives an overview of the monument.
The Bandelier Trading Company is located near the visitor center. It has a snack bar and gift shop.
Camping at Bandelier National Monument
The only developed campground at Bandelier is Juniper Campground. It costs US$20 per night (as of October 2025), payable by credit card at an automated registration kiosk, and is open year-round. Loop A has first-come, first-served tent sites, while Loops B and C are reservable up to 6 months in advance.
We stayed in the nearby town of Jemez Springs the night before. There’s also lodging available in Los Alamos, Española, and Santa Fe.
Activities at Bandelier National Monument
Hiking, photography, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor activities are available. Check the official website for more information on these activities. Information about ranger guided programs and cultural demonstrations can be found at the visitor center.
Safety at Bandelier National Monument
My best advice is to watch the weather. Flash floods can occur. Be careful on the trails, especially ladders, and wear proper footwear. Also take plenty of water and stay away from wildlife.
Main Loop Trail
The Main Loop Trail at Bandelier National Monument takes visitors to the most accessible archaeological sites at the park. It’s 1.2 miles long and fairly easy. The trail begins at the Frijoles Canyon Visitor Center.
Big Kiva
The first stop is Big Kiva. A kiva was used by Ancestral Puebloans for ceremonies and as a community center. Although it’s open to the elements today, it was originally covered and entered via a ladder on the roof.
Tyuonyi
Next are the ruins of Tyuonyi, which was a circular village that once stood up to two stories high. It dates between 1383 and 1466. The village contained about 400 rooms and three kivas, and housed about 100 people.
Talus Houses
The trail continues up to the cliffside where there are a series of talus houses (cliff dwellings). Actually classified as cavates, they were dug out by humans and are not natural caves.
Many cavates had stone rooms built in front of them, and there’s a reconstruction of one cliff home on display. It was built in 1920 and may not be completely accurate.
One of the cliff dwellings, Cave Kiva, has been reconstructed. Visitors can climb inside and imagine what life would have been like for Ancestral Puebloans.
Long House
Next is Long House, which is another series of cliff dwellings several stories high. There are no ladders leading up to any of these homes and only the foundations of the stone rooms remain.
One of the interesting things about Long House are the pictographs. The one in the photo below was on the back wall of a second-story home. It was painted and later covered over. Other petroglyphs can be found if you look closely.
There are also great views of Frijoles Canyon from Long House.
Looping Back to the Visitor Center
The trail starts to loop back towards the visitor center after Long House, with a couple of log crossings over Frijoles Creek along the way. After the first log crossing, it’s possible to continue on the Alcove House Trail.
Alcove House Trail
Alcove House Trail is a one-mile round-trip trail accessed at the halfway point of the Main Loop Trail. The trail starts just after a log crossing over Frijoles Creek. It crosses the creek a couple more times and continues deeper into the canyon. After a while, you can spot Alcove House and the ladders leading up to it.
To access Alcove House, you have to climb up four wooden ladders to end up 140 feet above the canyon floor.
Sometimes you have to wait patiently for others to climb up and down safely, but it gives you a chance to enjoy the scenery.
Once you reach Alcove House, there’s a reconstructed kiva and niches from former homes. About 25 people once lived there.
Before heading back down, you’ll be treated to spectacular views of the canyon. The trail runs back the way it came and connects with the Main Loop Trail, where you can return to the Frijoles Canyon Visitor Center.
