News Release

Bandelier National Monument’s Tsankawi Unit Will Temporarily Close on April 3, 2023

Bandelier's Tsankawi Unit will temporarily close on April 3, 2023 due to extensive construction work.

NPS Photo

News Release Date: March 10, 2023

Contact: Zachary Whitlow, [phone] ext. 1512

Los Alamos, NM – Bandelier National Monument will temporarily close its Tsankawi Unit on April 3, 2023. It is expected to reopen in late-October after extensive construction work has been completed. 

The rest of Bandelier National Monument will remain open during this time. This includes:
 

• The Pueblo Loop Trail, Alcove House, Falls Trail, and Bandelier Visitor Center in Frijoles Canyon.

• The Juniper and Ponderosa Campgrounds.

• Backcountry and frontcountry hiking trails at such locations as Burnt Mesa, Cerro Grande, and Alamo Boundary.

This new closure date replaces an earlier estimate of mid-March 2023. As part of the larger interagency project to improve traffic flow and safety at the junction of New Mexico State Road 4 and East Jemez Road outside of White Rock, Bandelier will construct a new parking area and access road that will align with the traffic light at the intersection.

Construction activities will impact all existing parking for Tsankawi. There will be no safe parking or access points for the visiting public as a result. “We will use the opportunity of this closure to re-route the Tsankawi Loop Trail around the ancestral pueblo site, and to mitigate the many social trails and other impacts to the area that have been years in the making,” said Superintendent Patrick Suddath in a previous statement. “This site is very important to our tribal partners, and so it is vital that we fully honor our commitment to address impacts to the site during this time.”

Entering Tsankawi by any means will be prohibited during this closure, except for personnel performing official duties related to the various construction projects. Violators of the closure will be subject to citation or arrest. The site will remain closed until all construction projects are completed or until visitors are able to safely access and travel within the area while construction and trail work continues.

A map showing construction near the Tsankawi Unit along New Mexico State Road 4.

NPS