• Tyuonyi Pueblo and Big Kiva from Frey Trail

    Bandelier

    National Monument New Mexico

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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 »

  • Alcove House Closed

    Alcove House, with its 140 ft climb on stairs and ladders, is closed to all visitor access from June 10 to August 22, 2013 while important stabalization work is done on the Alcove House kiva. More »

  • Fire Restrictions in Place

    Due to high fire danger, starting June 5, 2013, smoking will be allowed only in designated areas. No open fires will be allowed anywhere in the park. Self-contained stoves only at the campground or backcountry camping. No fireworks.

Pinon-Juniper Woodlands and Savannahs

coyote

Coyotes find plentiful food with the cottontail rabbits, pinon mice, and pocket gophers in the Pinon-Juniper Woodland.

Photo by Sally King

Once you move up in elevation from the Rio Grande and canyon-bottom streams, you will find pinon-juniper woodlands and savannahs. Pinon pine and juniper trees live here because they are well adapted to drought conditions. This plant community provides essential food for the pinon jay, cottontail rabbits, and pinon mice. With its calorie-rich nuts, the pinon pine provided an important though sporadic ingredient in the Ancestral Pueblo diet. Junipers provided edible berries and durable wood for toolmaking.
 
Eastern Fence Lizard

A sunny rock in the Pinon-Juniper Woodland is a good place to spot an Eastern Fence Lizard displaying his colors.

Photo by Sally King

Soil erosion is a major problem in this zone due to past practices of livestock overgrazing and fire suppression. Severe droughts in the early 2000s caused large-scale die-offs of these trees across the Pajarito Plateau. These two factors have dramatically altered the pinon-juniper communities in Bandelier.


Click here for more information on restoring the Pinon-Juniper Woodland.

 
Yucca, Claretcup Cactus, Juniper Berries
The Pinon-Juniper Woodland has a wide range of plant life.
Photos by Sally King
 
Pinon Jay
Pinon Jays follow the sporadic nut production of the Pinon Pine.  These nuts are an essential ingredient in the bird's diet.
Photo by Sally King

Did You Know?

Lesser Goldfinch mom feeds fledgling

Baby birds often leave the nest before they can really fly. That's because the nest is the most dangerous place for the young bird to stay.