All aspects of visiting Bandelier NM have been affected by the events of the summer of 2011, especially Las Conchas Fire and the flashfloods that followed. The fire burned over 60% of the park, heavily impacting much of the backcountry. Anyone planning to hike into the backcountry or planning an overnight backpacking trip should contact the visitor center to learn the exact impacts to such a trip. The flooding removed all the bridges across Frijoles Creek in Frijoles Canyon. This cut visitor parking for the park in half and also made hiking beyond the Main Archeological area more difficult. The threat of future flooding has kept the historical visitor center with its rehabbed museum and new theater closed. Only a temporary visitor center with a SPMA store is open. There is no movie or museum exhibits at this time. For further details on how these events may have impacted your visit call the visitor center at (505)672-3861 x 517.

NPS Photo by Sally King

You can view the Ancestral Pueblo "Long House" dwelling by hiking up the Long Trail in Frijoles Canyon.

Most visitors begin their exploration of Bandelier with a walk on the Main Loop Trail. This short 1.2 mile loop trail starts from the Visitor Center and leads through excavated archeological sites on the floor of Frijoles Canyon. A portion of this trail is handicapped accessible.

Other trails in this area include the 3 mile round-trip Falls Trail to the beautiful Upper Falls and various trails of different lengths and difficulty leading up to the mesa tops.