• 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 »

Hiking in Bandelier

hiker on the Frijolito Loop Trail

Hikes vary in length and difficulty.  Plan your trip, take plenty of water, and watch for wildlife.

Photo by Sally King

Bandelier National Monument has over 70 miles of trail within its boundaries and many more miles that connect out into the adjacent Santa Fe National Forest Lands. The most popular of these trails are the Main Loop Trail and Alcove House Trail (click on the Short Trails highlight to the right) which are accessed from the visitor center in Frijoles Canyon. These trails take you to many Ancestral Pueblo sites.

The Falls Trail is another trail that is very popular (click on the Short Trails highlight to the right). It takes you to a beautiful waterfall. Before the flash floods of 2011 the trail continued to the Lower Falls and ultimately to the Rio Grande. Flooding destroyed the trail leaving no access to the Rio Grande from Frijoles Canyon. There are no archeological sites on this trail.

Bandelier also offers opportunities for much longer hikes (click on the Long Trails highlight to the right). Permits are available for overnight stays in much of Bandelier's backcountry (click on the Backpacking highlight to the right).

 
hikers at Cerro Grande
With its range of elevations, Bandelier offers hikes with archeological sites, wildlife, and panoramic views.
Photo by Sally King
  • Backpacking in Bandelier Backpacking in Bandelier

    Learn More Here Read More

  • Longer Hikes Longer Hikes

    12 miles and longer Read More

  • Shorter Trails Shorter Trails

    Hikes 5 miles and under Read More

Did You Know?

Tarantula Hawk

Tarantula hawk hatchlings feed on the still living body of a tarantula captured by their mother. The mother tarantula hawk must fight the tarantula and then drag it to a burrow where she deposits an egg.