Bandalier National Monument in New Mexico is a Reminder of Times Past

Located near Los Alamos, New Mexico, Bandalier National Monument is a 32,000 acre park that is home to hundreds of ruins of ancient Anasazi (Pueblo) cliff houses and pueblo-style dwellings that once belonged to the tribes that lived on the Pajarito Plateau.

Bandalier has been a national monument since 1916, and in 1976, approximately 23,000 acres of the park were designated a protected wilderness area. The monument was named after Adolph Bandalier, an anthropologist who was a leading authority on the history of New Mexico and Arizona. Bandalier National Monument adjoins Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is situated to the north and west.

The central focus of a visit to Bandalier National Monument is the exploration of Frijoles Canyon, an area of the park that contains pueblo homes, ceremonial buildings - called kivas, petroglyphs, and rock paintings. Some of the structures once sat on the canyon floor while others were built into the voids in the cliffs and are called cavates. Visitors can explore all of these dwellings with a trip around the 1.2-mile Main Loop Trail, which initiates at the Visitor Center and winds through excavated portions of Frijoles Canyon. Tours are self-guided and a portion of the trail is handicapped accessible.

Off the Main Loop Trail, visitors can also follow the Falls Trail, a 5 mile trek that leads to the Rio Grande and to other trails inside the park. Another trail can be found at the Tsankawi portion of the national monument, which is separated from the main area by about 12 miles. This is the site of the ancestral Puebloan village of Tsankawi, which can be explored on a 1.5-mile hike which also takes visitors past more cavates and petroglyphs. This portion of the park is not handicapped accessible and exploration requires climbing ladders.

If more hiking opportunities are desired, Bandalier National Monument offers more than 70 miles of backcountry trails, most of them located in the designated wilderness area. Some are appropriate for day journeys while others demand multi-day travels. Camping is permitted in the backcountry with the proper permit. There are also two additional campgrounds: Juniper, which is a family campground meant for small groups, and Ponderosa, for groups larger than 10.

In the wintertime, cross country skiing and snow shoeing may also be enjoyed within the park in the Upper Frijoles Trail off Highway 4. Two trails for winter sports are open during daylight hours - one is 2.4 miles long and the other measures 5 miles long. The trail is usually snow covered from about mid-November to mid-March but there's not always enough snow for skiing.

A picnic area is located near the Visitor Center and includes tables, bear-proof trash containers, and bathrooms. Also at the Visitors Center, guests can view ancient Pueblo pottery, tools, and artifacts and well as contemporary pieces crafted by members of the Pueblo tribe. Buildings and furniture built by FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps are also on display. An introductory film is available.