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Access by Shuttle Bus Only
Starting May 24, 2013 all access to the most visited part of the park, Frijoles Canyon, will be via a mandatory shuttle bus from the nearby community of White Rock from 9 AM - 3 PM daily. Private cars may drive in before 9 AM or after 3 PM. More »
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Alcove House To Close
Alcove House, with its 140 ft climb on stairs and ladders, will be closed to all visitor access from June 10 to August 22, 2013 while important stabalization work is done on the Alcove House kiva. More »
Bats
Thirteen species of bats live within Bandelier National Monument. NPS Photo by Sally King Eons ago when ancestral bats sought the shelter of darkness as protection from predators their future reputation as creatures of mystery and evil was born. Hampered by this reputation and numerous misconceptions, these flying mammals have encountered a new and even more dangerous enemy: MAN. Thirteen species of bats live within Bandelier National Monument. The most commonly seen species is the Mexican Free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis). Frequently a colony of these bats roosts in the cave above Long House on the Main Loop Trail. In 1986, about 10,000 Mexican free-tails and some little brown bats (Myotis yumanensis) moved in and continued to use the cave every summer until 2002. |
Did You Know?
Mule deer fawns only keep their spots for the first several months of life. These spots provide camouflage for the young animals when their mothers must leave them to feed.