Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument is a 33,677-acre (13,629 ha) United States National Monument near Los Alamos in Sandoval and Los Alamos counties, New Mexico. The monument preserves the homes and territory of the Ancestral Puebloans of a later era in the Southwest. Most of the pueblo structures date to two eras, dating between 1150 and 1600 AD.
The monument is 50 square miles (130 km2) of the Pajarito Plateau, on the slopes of the Jemez volcanic field in the Jemez Mountains. Over 70% of the monument is wilderness, with over one mile of elevation change, from about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) along the Rio Grande to over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) at the peak of Cerro Grande on the rim of the Valles Caldera, providing for a wide range of life zones and wildlife habitats. 3 miles (5 km) of road and more than 70 miles (110 km) of hiking trails are built. The monument protects Ancestral Pueblo archeological sites, a diverse and scenic landscape, and the country's largest National Park Service Civilian Conservation Corps National Landmark District.
Bandelier was designated by President Woodrow Wilson as a national monument on February 11, 1916, and named for Adolph Bandelier, a Swiss-American anthropologist, who researched the cultures of the area and supported preservation of the sites. The park infrastructure was developed in the 1930s by crews of the Civilian Conservation Corps and is a National Historic Landmark for its well-preserved architecture. The National Park Service cooperates with surrounding Pueblos, other federal agencies, and state agencies to manage the park.
Links
Images Gallery
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Bandelier satellite image, December 2015: Bandelier's topgraphy can be seen most clearly in winter, with less vegetation obscuring it.
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Multistory dwellings at Bandelier. Rock wall foundations and beam holes and cavates carved into tuff from upper floors
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Detail of natural cavities and architectural carving into the soft tuff.
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Remnants of Tyuonyi Pueblo in Frijoles Canyon
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Distance in feet, vertical scale exaggerated 300%
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Comments
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Forest is beautiful. The trails and monuments are well maintained and worth the stop. Only issue was that the park only offers a 7 day pass @$25, which is a bit steep if you only want to visit for the day.
3 days ago -
This was such an interesting location that I loved hiking at. I really enjoyed being able to go in some of the hand carved caves. It made the experience 10 times better. We seen a bunch of wild life including mule deer🦌 , squirrels 🐿 , and even a bear cub 🐻. The only part I was disappointed about was we didn’t get to go to the highest cave at the end because it was closed but it just gives us an excuse to come back another time.
3 weeks ago -
To say that Bandelier National Monument is a necessary stop on any road trip would be an understatement. The ancient history just flows through the valley along the walls of these structures. There are plenty of fun little ladders to climb up for kids and families to enjoy and, if you choose to challenge yourself, there's even a chance to ascend 140 feet of ladders to reach the Alcove House further on in the trail. Also, plenty of little lizards running around and we even crossed paths with an awesome bull snake on the way back to our car. Amazingly well-maintained across the board and should serve as an example for how most other national parks should operate.
3 months ago -
The energy of the land and dwellings is intense. You can feel the history. My mind is constantly flooded with visions and scenes of the past. The park will well maintained and clean. I encountered two staff members. The first greeter was less than welcoming and unhelpful. The second was amazing, he took time to share is knowledge about the park. Overall a great experience and I would recommend adding Bandelier to your list of must sees in New Mexico.
3 months ago -
We arrived just after 7 am on Sunday and NO ONE was there!! It was a perfect sunny and 60 degrees. When we left at 9:30, the main parking lot was full. It took us about an hour from Santa Fe, an easy drive. The trip was totally worth it. I am little afraid of height but decided to clime up to Alcove House and it was totally worth it. The trail was easy but clime up the stairs and ladders are not easy if not physically used to it. Don’t use the hours of operation shown on Google map because it says the park opens at 9am. The actual hours of operation is dawn to dusk! I think Google uses Visitor Center hours. Get there early to avoid the crowd!!!
2 months ago -
What a great fun stop during our New Mexico road trip! This provides a nice scenic route to get to the park and then has some very cool short, easy hikes to the old dwellings. If you want to get adventurous you also climb into the caves.
a month ago -
Maybe one of the best camping facilities we have ever used over the last 10 years. Clean, quiet, private sites were numerous at 2 pm arrival mid-week in August (first come-first serve). While there was no water available for each camping site, it was available at multiple places throughout the grounds. Excellent paved sites that were spaced far enough apart to allow for privacy. Waste-water dump facility was extremely clean. We highly recommend camping here.
5 days ago -
It was a great time and an adventure. The ladder climbing is legit and somewhat scary but fun as all.
a month ago