Santa Fe day-trippers with an interest in Native American ancestry won’t want to miss Bandelier National Monument.
FRIJOLES CANYON
Bandelier is a significant cultural site for modern Pueblo people, some of whom live in neighboring communities. The park protects the heritage and ancestral connections of several Native American tribes with cliff dwellings, kivas, and petroglyphs that date back over 11,000 years. Frijoles Canyon is believed to have been inhabited up until about 500 years ago.
In addition to the cliff dwellings and kivas, there is evidence of “talus houses” built among the fallen boulders at the base of the cliffs, showing the diverse architectural styles of the ancestral Puebloans.
Today visitors are able to walk through the canyon for an up-close view of the cliff dwellings as well as Tyuonyi, the foundation of a large circular lodge that had space to house hundreds of people.
A little further up the canyon is Alcove House. For those who like climbing, a series of ladders accesses a cliffside cave with a small kiva.
The Frijoles Canyon hike, also called the Pueblo Loop Trail, including the climb up to Alcove House, can be done in a couple of hours.
At the trailhead there is a Visitor’s Center with parking, bathrooms, museum, and restaurant. The parking is limited, however, forcing the National Park Service to begin closing the road to vehicles during peak times. A free shuttle from White Rock is in operation from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during these times.
Check the park’s Current Conditions for up-to-date info.
BACKCOUNTRY HIKING
Most of Bandelier National Monument is true wilderness and overnight backpacking trips can reach parts of the park only accessible by hiking. One such destination is Painted Cave, a spectacular array of petroglyphs painted in a natural rock alcove. Getting there is a 22-mile round trip from the visitor’s center. Permits for overnight trips are required but free.
Hikers will navigate local terrain consisting of sloping finger mesas separated by deep canyons. Ponderosa pines are numerous although arid desert conditions persist throughout. During the winter months freezing temperatures are common while summertime temps can surpass 100 degrees.
There are plenty of day hikes, too. These are easily accessible from trailheads off of Highway 4. Some are close to White Rock, some are uphill towards Valles Caldera.
RESOURCES
The mountains west of Santa Fe are full of worthy places to visit, including atomic-city Los Alamos, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Santa Fe National Forest, and Jemez National Recreation Area. But Bandelier might just be the best of them all.
