Place

Falls Trail Tour - Stop 2

A tan cliff with holes of many sizes. Along the base of the cliff are larger, carved caves.
Cavates line the base of the cliff. Above them, you can spot the holes in the cliff from erosion.

NPS

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Compacted by their own weight over time, the ash flows became a soft rock known as tuff. The tuff is light in color, very porous, and has a sandy texture. In some areas, lightweight pumice is a major component of the tuff. Look for Swiss cheese-like patterns in the surfaces of the cliffs. This is where the tuff is rich in pumice and erodes more easily. The Ancestral Pueblo people carved these areas into cavates (cave-ATES), or human-created caves.

Bandelier National Monument

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Last updated: July 24, 2022