• 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 »

Ponderosa Pine Forests

Ponderosa forest

The Ponderosa Forest gets more moisture from winter snows and summer rains than lower elevation zones.

Photo by Sally King

Ponderosa pine forests are found at middle elevations on the Pajarito Plateau where increased snowfall and summer rains create wetter conditions. The Ancestral Pueblo people used these trees as roof beams for their homes and hunted the mule deer which thrive in this community. Ponderosa pine forests provide important habitat for a wide range of species such as Abert's Squirrels, Red-tailed Hawks, and Western Bluebirds to name just a few.
 
Purple Penstemon

Beautiful wildflowers bloom with the added moisture found in the Ponderosa Pine Forest.

Photo by Sally King

Before European settlement, ponderosa pine forests were more open than we see them today. Widely spaced trees towered above rich grasses and occasional clumps of Gambel's oak. Frequent, naturally-occurring surface fires kept the forest healthy and open. Since 1977, major crown fires have burned many of the park's large stands of ponderosa pine creating open grasslands in many areas.

 
Red-tailed Hawk, Abert's Squirrel, Swallowtail
The Ponderosa Pine Forest is a wonderful place to see wildlife.
Photos by Sally King

Did You Know?

Katydid

Katydids are often called leaf hoppers.  Their wings and body look like vegetation, a form of camouflage which offers this insect some protection from predators.