This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check our disclosure policy for more details.

Bandelier National Monument is located near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The protected park extends over 33,000 acres and includes more than 70 miles of trails. Other than a nature and wilderness preservation site, Bandelier also preserves the homes and territory of the Ancestral Pueblo peoples.

About Bandelier National Monument

Over 10,000 years ago, nomadic hunter-gatherers arrived in the area. Around 1150 CE, the Ancestral Pueblo people started to build more permanent settlements. Traces of these settlements can be found in Bandelier within cliffside dwellings, petroglyphs, and artifacts that are scattered throughout the monument. By 1550 many of these communities moved to pueblos along the Rio Grande, yet their ancestors’ early lives in the cliff dwellings and canyons are still connected to the surrounding pueblo communities. 

Bandelier National Monument was created in 1916 by President Woodrow Wilson. It is one of the oldest National Park Service sites in the United States and protects incredible historical and cultural pieces of Native American history. Ancestral Pueblo dwellings are scattered across this tremendously diverse desert landscape, which includes mesas, canyons, valleys, and creeks that continue to provide for a variety of animals and plants.

Visiting Bandelier

Multiple days can be spent exploring Bandelier National Monument and learning about the region’s unique history. If you have several days to devote to the monument and are an experienced outdoors-person, the Bandelier Backcountry has numerous trails and a few areas for camping. More information on longer hikes can be found [here].

For those who want to experience Bandelier but do not have a lot of time on their hands, there are shorter trails throughout the park. One of the more popular short trails is the Main Loop Trail. This 1.2 mile loop trail passes through archeological sites along Frijoles Canyon, such as ladders along the trail that allow you to climb into cavates (small human-carved alcoves), see remains of housing structures, and spot numerous petroglyphs. Additionally, Main Loop Trail takes you past the sites Big Kiva, Tyuonyi, Talus House, and Long House.

Similarly, there is a 3 mile round-trip hike to the Upper Falls along the Falls Trail. The trail descends 400 vertical feet in its 1.5 mile length to the Upper Falls. It is important to note that this trail is not cleared of snow in the winter and can be extremely icy. There are steep dropoffs along the trail and plank bridges across the creek, too. More information on short trails in Bandelier can be found [here].

Accessing Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier is located west of Santa Fe and north of Albuquerque. It takes a little less than an hour to drive from Santa Fe and about two hours to reach Bandelier from Albuquerque.

It costs $15 per person to enter Bandelier National Monument. If you are visiting during May through October, you must use a free shuttle bus at the White Rock Visitor’s Center to get into the monument. Outside of these times, it costs $25 per vehicle to enter the park. More information about accessing and visiting the monument can be found by following [this link].

Santa Fe and Albuquerque

If you’re visiting Bandelier National Monument, you’ll probably stay in or pass through Santa Fe or Albuquerque, New Mexico. For some recommended places of interest, food to eat, and more, be sure to check out my travel guides! Click [here] to access the Santa Fe Travel Guide and follow [this link] to view the Albuquerque Travel Guide.

• 

• 

As always, respect where you are. Do not take anything from National Parks and Monuments, stay on designated trails, take all trash with you, and obey all signage. Mother Nature and others who wish to appreciate the National Parks thank you!