Directions & Transportation

Bandelier National Monument's Entrance Road.

NPS / Sally King

 

Access to the park today is relatively easy compared to the past.

NPS

Directions

From Santa Fe

1 hour each way

• Take Saint Francis Drive (HWY 84/285) north toward Los Alamos.
• After passing Pojoaque, merge right onto New Mexico 502 to Los Alamos.
• Continue up 502 toward Los Alamos. Bear right and exit onto New Mexico 4 towards White Rock. Continue for 12 miles, passing White Rock.
• Bandelier's entrance is on your left.

From Los Alamos

30 minutes each way

• Take Diamond Drive towards Los Alamos National Laboratory, passing Los Alamos Medical Center. Cross Otowi Bridge and bear right.
• After passing the light, continue towards the Laboratory Vehicle Access Portal. Take any lane indicated by the a green arrow. You must stop and show your driver's license to the guard. Random searches are possible. Continue up Hwy 501, through Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• At the next stop sign, turn left onto New Mexico 4, following the sign towards Bandelier National Monument.
• Bandelier's entrance is on your right.

From Taos

1.5 hours each way

• Take New Mexico 68 (Paseo del Pueblo Sur) south for 47 miles.
• In Espanola, turn right onto Fairview. Left at next stoplight on Hwy 84/285.
• At stoplight near Ford Dealership turn right on Hwy 30. Follow 30 through Santa Clara Pueblo to junction with Hwy 502. Merge right onto 502 toward Los Alamos.
• Bear right and exit onto New Mexico 4 towards White Rock. Continue for 12 miles, passing White Rock.
• Bandelier's entrance is on the left.

From Albuquerque

Approximately 2 hours each way

• Take I-25 north towards Santa Fe for approx 45 miles.
• Take exit for US599 to avoid Santa Fe traffic (otherwise continue to exit for 84/285 and follow directions from Santa Fe). Continue for 13 miles.
• Bear left to merge onto U.S. 84/285 towards Los Alamos.
• After passing Pojoaque, merge right onto New Mexico 502 to Los Alamos.
• At the top of a big uphill climb bear right onto New Mexico 4 towards White Rock. Continue for 12 miles, passing White Rock.
• Bandelier's entrance is on the left.

Scenic Route (approx 2.5 hours, not recommended on snowy days)

• Take I-25 north towards Santa Fe for approx. 15 miles.
• Take for US 550 towards Rio Rancho.
• At San Ysidro, turn right onto New Mexico 4.
• Travel over the Jemez Mountains through Jemez Springs and past the turnoff for Los Alamos (NM 501). Continue straight on Hwy 4.
• Bandelier's entrance is on the right.

From White Rock

20 minutes each way

• Turn onto New Mexico 4 towards Bandelier, passing Sherwood and Piedra Loop. Continue for 12 miles.
  Bandelier's entrance is on your left.

 

Bandelier National Monument 2025 Summer Shuttle Service

Bandelier's Summer Shuttle Service runs from May 14 to October 14.

 

The shuttle stop at the Frey Trail parking lot.

NPS / Zachary Whitlow

Transportation

Bandelier Shuttle

Bandelier National Monument's shuttle is seasonally operated, typically running from mid-May to mid-October. The shuttle runs daily starting at 10 am and picks up at the Frey Trail parking lot and brings you to the park visitor center. The shuttle buses run every 10 minutes. These shuttles are operated in partnership with Atomic City Transit in Los Alamos County.

Unlike previous years, the shuttle is not mandatory unless the parking lots in the canyon are filled up. Also, there will be no shuttle service to the White Rock Visitor Center. Shuttle services will only operate between parking areas within Bandelier. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the White Rock Visitor Center for information on regional attractions and unique exhibits. Visitors may use the free shuttle to access trail heads on the mesa top and will provide easy access between the Bandelier National Monument Visitor Center and Juniper Campground.

There is no charge for riding the shuttle but all normal entry fees still apply for entering the park. Fees are based on the vehicle visitors arrive to the shuttle in, which is not a per person basis usually. All visitors are required to check in at the Bandelier Visitor Center when they arrive in the park.

Why is there a shuttle?

Bandelier National Monument began utilizing a mandatory shuttle in Summer 2012 to help alleviate parking congestion and to prevent the need to turn cars around when the parking lots were full. The shuttle allows the park to accomodate more visitors.

Does the shuttle take me directly to Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites?

No. The shuttle only provides transportation between the Frey Trail parking lot and the Bandelier National Monument Visitor Center during the busy season (typically mid-May to mid-October).

Can I drive anywhere else in the park?

Yes. You can still drive into a number of areas of the park any time of the day including Juniper Campground, Tsankawi, and to the many trails outside of Frijoles Canyon located along NM Highway 4. Remember the park closes at sunset, so plan to leave before that time.