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About Bandelier National Park
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Location Information
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Operating Hours/Seasons & Climate
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Reservations/Permits/Fees
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Facilities and Opportunities (including trails,
camping, concessions)
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Map of Bandelier National Park
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Map of New Mexico
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 Hundreds
of ruins of Anasazi cliff houses and pueblo-style dwellings lay scattered
across the Pajarito Plateau of northern New Mexico. Within Bandelier
National Monument's 32,000 acres, 70 miles of trails provide access to
these ancient ruins, including the cliff dwellings and Tyuonyi village of
Frijoles Canyon.
Tsankawi, a separate section of the Monument 11 miles north of the main
entrance, protects an unexcavated ruin, cave dwellings and many
petroglyphs. Sight-seeing at the ruins and other trail hiking backpacking,
bird watching, camping and picnicking designated areas are all available.
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| Location:
Bandelier National Monument is located in the transition area between
the Chihuahuan and Great Basin deserts of north-central New Mexico. It is
situated on the Pajarito Plateau, between the Jemez Mountains on the west
and the Rio Grande River on the east.
The Pajarito Plateau was created from volcanic lava and ash flows which
erupted from nearby Jemez Volcano, about a million years ago. Bandelier
National Monument is located 11 miles south of Los Alamos (where the first
atomic bomb was developed in the 1940s) and 48 miles northwest of Santa
Fe, New Mexico.
Address/Telephone:
Headquarters: Bandelier National Monument
HCR 1, Box 1, Suite 15
Los Alamos, NM 87544
505-672-0343
Directions / Transportation:
By Auto
The monument is 46 miles (74.1 km) west of Santa Fe, NM and is reached
from Santa Fe North on US 285 to Pojoaque, then west on NM 502 to NM 4.
Visitors traveling North-South on I-25 take second Santa Fe exit (St.
Francis) Follow signs to Bandelier at every major junction.
Public Transportation
There is no public, or regularly scheduled commercial transportation
to or in the Monument. Rental cars, commercial airlines, Amtrak trains and
Greyhound buses are available at Santa Fe, New Mexico.
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The Monument is open daily, year
round, dawn to dusk. It is closed December 25 and January 1.
Visitor Center
Summer Hours: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Winter Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Spring/Fall Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
The weather at Bandelier is warm and dry, with rain in early summer
months. There is a good chance of snow storms from October through May.
Wear comfortable sportswear type clothing in season, with sturdy walking
shoes. The elevation in Frijoles Canyon is 6,000 feet and can cause
breathing difficulties for some people visiting from lower elevations.
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Spring and Fall are the best times to visit the park, as
temperatures are moderate. Summer days are often blisteringly hot.
The park is cold and mostly deserted in winter. Precipitation is
scarce, most of it falling in late summer or early fall. Light snow
falls in winter. The park is never really very crowded, though most
visitors arrive in spring. Seasonal temperature ranges (rounded) in
degrees Fahrenheit are set forth below:
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Spring |
Summer |
Fall |
Winter |
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Day |
60 to 80 |
80 to 100 |
60 to 80 |
30 to 50 |
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Night |
20 to 50 |
50 to 60 |
20 to 50 |
0 to 20 |
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Entrance Fee: $10.00 per car for a seven day permit. Commercial and
recreational groups fees vary. Golden Eagle, Golden Age, and Golden Access
Passports honored.
Camping Fee: $10.00 per site/per night. Reservations for school
and other educational groups should be made at least two weeks in advance.
At least one month's notice and application for Special Use Permits is
required. Make reservations for group campgrounds as far in advance as
possible. Filming permits are issued on an individual basis (based on size
of the project, whether a movie, commercial, etc., how many park personnel
needed for supervision, and how much time will be involved.) For
additional information concerning reservations, special use or filming
permits, call 505-672-3861, ext. 502.
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 | Buses are not allowed to park in canyon area most of year.
| There is limited parking for visitors; it can be an hour wait for
parking.
| Pets not allowed on trails and must be leashed at all times where
allowed.
| Climbing on walls or cliffs is prohibited. Stay on trails.
| Feeding wildlife is prohibited.
| Collecting or disturbing archeological or historic artifacts is
prohibited.
| Bicycles and motorcycles are restricted to paved roads.
| Permits are required for all overnight trips into Bandelier's
backcountry.
| Fires are permitted only in designated campgrounds and only in the
grills provided.
| Firewood collecting is prohibited.
| Picking flowers or collecting plants is prohibited. |
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Lodging
No lodging in monument; available in
towns of Los Alamos and White Rock 12 to 15 miles away. Juniper
Campground, a ninety-four site campground, is available for use
seasonally, usually from mid-April to October on first-come first-served
basis. A group campground is available seasonally by reservation only.
Stores/Museum
The Visitor Center in
Frijoles Canyon has exhibits on prehistoric and historic Pueblo culture.
It houses a bookstore operated by Southwest Parks and Monuments
Association. Books, maps and tapes are available for sale here.
Programs
& Activities:
Craft making demonstrations by local American Indians are presented on
weekends throughout summer months. Evening programs in campground
amphitheater are held daily throughout summer months.
Food/Supplies
Refreshments and snacks can be purchased at the concessionaire-operated
gift shop and snack bar, which is adjacent to the Visitor Center
Camping in the park:
$10.00 per site/per night. Reservations for school
and other educational groups should be made at least two weeks in
advance.
There are two campgrounds within Bandelier National Monument.
Juniper Campground: Ninety-four sites are available for use
seasonally, usually from mid-April to October on first-come first-served
basis. Located on the mesa above Frijoles Canyon near the Visitor Center.
Fee is $10.00 per site/per night.
Ponderosa Group Campground: Available seasonally by reservation
only. Located at 7,500 feet neat the intersections of routes 4 and 501.
Things To Do:
Auto Tours
There are only three miles of public paved roads in the 32,000-acre
monument. This road goes from the entrance gate on Route 4 to the
Visitor Center in Frijoles Canyon. Other non-paved roads are closed in
the winter.
Hiking & Trails
There are 70 miles of hiking and backpacking trails in Bandelier
National Monument. The shorter and most popular trails lead to Anasazi
ruins of the cliff houses and other structures throughout the
Monument.
Tsankawi Trail
1.5-mile loop on primitive trail leads past unexcavated ruins, cave
dwellings and petroglyphs. A small guidebook is available. This trail
is in a separate section of the monument, 11 miles north on Route 4.
Falls Trail
3-mile, roundtrip trail leads to upper and lower waterfalls in
Frijoles Canyon. A booklet describing the geology and native
plants along the trail is available for sale.
Main Loop Trail
The Frijoles Canyon cliff dwellings (talus houses) are within a
short, easy walk of the Visitor Center along this 1.5-mile paved
trail. It leads though the Tyuonyi pueblo ruins, which are within 400
yards of the Visitor Center. A guide book describing each of the stops
along the trail is available. This trail is wheel-chair accessible to
the picnic area. |
Accessibility:
Visitor Center not to standard but accessible. Visitor
Center rest rooms not up to standard but accessible. Ruins trail
accessible part way. Two wheelchairs available for loan. Orientation slide
show captioned. Two tactile tables available.
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Click on the Spirit
God to E-mail Daniel Hughes
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You are Bandelier visitor  Since November 20th, 1998
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Bandelier Info Page Updated on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 06:07 PM
PST
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Y!
