Place

Packrat Tsankawi Guided Hike Stop 6

a collection of plant material and brown pellets under a beige overhang
a packrat nest

NPS

Quick Facts

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Scenic View/Photo Spot

Under ledges and rocks in this area, you may see piles of twigs, grasses, and dark elongated pellets.  These signs reveal the home, or midden, of a pack rat.  The White-throated and the Mexican Woodrat are found in Bandelier.  Both species are renowned for their habit of collecting plant materials and many shiny objects to hoard in a protected home.  Packrats, like many rodent occupants of arid environments, get all their water from succulent plant consumption. These wily herbivores are active year-round and are most active and visible at dawn or dusk.  

From here, there is a choice of routes: climb the narrow rock crevasse straight ahead or continue to the right to a ladder that provides access to mesa top.
 

Bandelier National Monument

Last updated: June 4, 2022