Bandelier National Monument Hiking Trails

Introduction

The Bandelier National Monument has an infrastructure that enables many types of people to enjoy one of the United States Archeological wonders. A true family-friendly environment with paths that wheelchairs can even enjoy. Walking up close into and around the ruins does require more mobility but the site can be broken down into different trails and allowing the person who wants to visit different aspects of the park to do so on separate trips over time. The main loop trail is the main attraction, and making it to the Alcove Cave would be the most difficult due to very large tall ladders. In this article, I will lay out the park according to each of the sections and show what each area looks like with photographs and videos. The National Park Service website of the monument can be found here, and if you do want to hike the park there is a good map for sale in the gift shop. The free maps and information are great for the Pueblo Main Loop Trail and maybe the Alcove House, but the rest will need a great map. So enjoy the great fresh air, and have a great time exploring the park.

FAQ’s

Video of Bandelier National Monument Pueblo Main Loop Trail

This is the first video in the series that will cover several of the trail’s with various difficulties. This video covers the top two locations being the Pueblo Main Loop Trail and the trail to the Alcove House. In this video, I show the great walkways and railings along the cliffside area of the dwellings. Enjoy the video and make sure to like and share the video.

The Visiter Center Of Bandelier National Monument

The visitor center is very well laid out and blends well into the surrounding of the overall monument. There is a central location with picnic tables, and garbage receptacles for trash. The building consists of the main visitor center, small museum, gift store, small cafe, and yes (Elk Burgers) along with other items to cover a little bit of everyone’s taste buds. There is an outside and inside dining area, and some very nice grounds just for resting and recouping from the many hikes. The who work inside are friendly, and try their best to be helpful. I have spoken to the park rangers and received inside information on water locations for long hikes, and tips for planning for your hike.

The buildings are very well done and provide offices, and housing for the park staff. They are not the only buildings but these stood out during the visit. There are larger homes in other areas of the park as well for others that live there year-round.

I found the flowers planted around the buildings to also be enjoyable and since I like photography this provides many opportunities for us to get photographs for many other useful reasons.

Evening in Bandelier National Monument

If you decide to stay overnight you can experience the wide-open sky and the evening stars. The clouds move over quickly so expect to see the milky way, and other stars or planets.

Nature and Rock Formations

The rock formations are an amazing site and are a tremendous opportunity for exploration, nature watching, and photography opportunities. You will see animals like coyotes at night looking over the edge down on you, and hawks flying above looking for food.

Outside of the main attraction, the Bandelier National Monument has several trails of interest with different difficulties. The rock formations around the park provide a tremendous amount of photography opportunities and an enjoyable nature experience.

The walk right out from the visitors center will take you into a park-like setting. From birds to small animals, and butterflies this area has its own charm and is a nice walk to relax in.

Within the area of the main loop trail, there is a wooded area just beside the pueblo ruins of this trail. There are benches and toilets deeper along the trail, and along the way, you will find beautiful plants. tree, and flowers.

You can see from this picture the porous holes that make up the cliffs. This porous material can be easily carved into, and that is why the Pueblo people chose to do so.

Exploring The Pueblo Main Loop Trail

As you approach the Pueblo runes you will first see the cliffside that the home was carved out of. The rock is compressed ash that provided these peoples an opportunity to combine pine logs for roofing and ladders that enabled a safe living arrangement from wild animals and other tribes in the area.

In front of the cliffs, you will find areas that appeared to be used for growing crops. The circular runes appear to be large cisterns for holding water and growing more food. Water storage in this area would always be a concern to any group of people, and the Pueblo are similar in this way.

If you look at this particular shot you get the sense of a small house, and inside there are black smoke marks on the ceiling. So a small home with indoor heating, but from a more primitive standpoint.

You can climb this ladder and look inside, and see the areas from within that had small fires I assume for heat or maybe some inside cooking. It’s very interesting, and a great exercise to try and put yourself into another world from the past.

I found this unique area interesting from an anthropology standpoint, and try to imagine what the people from the past might have been thinking when they originally built this storage facility with pine poles and mud brick.

As you walk along the trail is important to consider the time of year and time of day. I have taken this trail during the early morning and the late afternoon. Each time allows one to experience the trail in a different light giving a different experience. The midday timeframe can begin to get warmer so be prepared to have water with you.

The Alcove House

This section of the trail becomes more difficult but it is doable for the average person as long as heights are not an issue. Several long and tall ladders will need to be used to access this section of the trail that is embedded into the mountainside.

This particular warning sign is what you will see once you end the Main Loop Trail, and begin your ascent towards the Alcove House and trail. The 1/2 mile walk is nestled with the trees and provides an inviting site along with the smell of pine trees and the songs of birds to guide you to the beginning of your climb.

When you walk along this narrow trail up the mountainside you will notice that the porous material has slowly carved into this trail, and made it more possible to walk here.

The view downwards from the top of this ladder tells you exactly what to expect, and yes it’s tall. There were four of these ladders with various heights and difficulties.

I think from how this small open cave looks I can see how this would be a special place for ceremonies for celebrations and the elders, or for reasons we don’t yet understand.

There is a sense of mystery when you enter this last portion and climb the last small ladder. I can understand while these ancient people liked this open-air cave, and found it to be somewhat spiritual in nature.

The Alcove House of Bandelier National Monument

If you are inside the Alcove House looking outwards this is what it will look like. There is a sense of darkness, and a small light portal looking outwards.

The Falls Trail

The Falls Trail Video

When looking at this sign please pay attention to the markers that are displayed along the trail. That will help you understand how far you have to go to get to the falls, and the distance left when returning from your hike.

It should go without saying that staying on the main part of the trail is safer than looking over the edge of a crumbling cliff. So be careful and keep safety first at all times.

There appears to be an older portion of the trail that is no longer used, and very damaged. Don’t go any further, but take notice of the green valley below.

This trail has a very nice ending, but I think earlier in the year or just before winter started this waterfall would be much more active. The trail is a walk down in elevation to the base of the small canyon, and then you must walk back up towards the visitors center.

Bandelier Top Of Canyon Trail

During the late spring, you will find many of the different cactus blooming with very striking colors. There are several different species of cacti plants and they do bloom at different times of the spring, and summer.

This particular hike is not very difficult but the sun can beat down on you. Be sure to have sunscreen and extra water for this short hike. This overview area provides and a great view of the visitor center area and runes from above.

Just walking along this trail, and to my surprise, there were several areas of runes. There are some plaques providing limited information, and it’s an interesting environment where they lived. They seemed to have existed at some point when the Pueblo people were down below so I’m sure trade and future were exchanged.

In conclusion, the Bandelier National Monument is one of the best-kept parks of the National Park system here in the United States. I found some of the paths to be disabled-friendly and easy to walk with canes. There are several different trails with various amounts of difficulties for each person to explore according to their abilities. I highly recommend this park and have visited this location several times in order to get the pictures, videos, and to write the material. Please share this article and help us reach more people interested in learning about the National Treasure. This park is sometimes referred to as Bandelier National Park and Bandolier National Monument, and they are all the same place. So if you get a chance please visit New Mexico, and take a look at what the Pueblo People of Bandelier National Monument or Park created long ago.

We write about several National Parks and National Monuments. lease take the time to read about the other locations for hiking and exploring the National Parks of the United States.

• White Sands National Monument
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Camping Food Tips, and Reviews Video
• Feral People In National Parks
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Campground
• Canyons Of The Ancients Pueblo Cultural Sites
• Petroglyphs of Utah Sego Canyon
• The Ancestral Pueblo Mesa Verde National Park