• 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.

Management

Bandelier National Monument and the National Park Service works with its friends, neighbors, and partners to ensure that, whenever possible, the change within the park boundaries and on the broader local landscape ensure that valuable natural and cultural resources will be preserved for future generations.

An important part of managing and preserving a park is ongoing scientific research. Read more about the USGS Jemez Mountain Field Station at Bandelier National Monument and their approach to research for land management: "A Place-Based Approach to Science for Land Management..."

View a list of current project documentation (including legal compliance) at the NPS Planning website...

Current Park Projects

 
Ecological Research
 
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The Western Mountain Initiative:
Collaborative Research to Understand the Ecological Effects of Climate Change
The responses of mountain ecosystems to climatic changes are complex and not well understood. The Western Mountain Initiative (WMI), part of the USGS Global Change research program, seeks to understand and predict the responses of mountain ecosystems to climate variability and accordingly shape land management strategies. Bandelier is the core site for the Southern Rocky Mountains. The USGS Jemez Mountain Field Station at Bandelier plays an active role in data gathering, analysis and reporting for the initiative. Read more at WMI’s website.

 
Effects of ecological restoration

Restoration of the Pinon Juniper Woodland
The greatest threat to the protection and preservation of Bandelier's cultural resources, including archeological sites, is severe soil erosion in the Pinon-Juniper woodlands. Beginning in 1994, researchers at Bandelier found that simply reducing the density of trees and using the cut trees to provide a "erosion blanket" on exposed soils resulted in a three-fold increase in grasses and shrubs and reduced soil erosion. Read more...

 
Historic Preservation
 
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Historic Resource Study and National Register Nomination
During this planned three year study and consultation effort, the park and its contractors will compile prehistoric and historic data from all available sources and present it in a document that is both coherent and useful to park managers and other stakeholders. Read more...

 

Archeology

 
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Completing the Archeological Inventory of Bandelier
Currently the park is about 78% inventoried and contains 2,879 archeological sites. An estimated additional 200 archeological sites will be located and recorded through this project. Read more...

Did You Know?

Tyuonyi Pueblo

It is estimated that Tyuonyi Pueblo had 400 rooms but only 100 people lived there. Many of the rooms were used mostly for storage of food and pens for turkeys.