Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico

Bandelier National Monument is about 48 miles northwest of Santa Fe on NM4.   Like Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon, Bandelier uses a shuttle service from the nearby town of White Rock, our driver was excellent and told you snippets of information along the way.   We like shuttle services although it does make deciding what you need for the day a little more difficult than when you can just pop back to the truck if you’ve forgotten something.

The main loop trail leads off from the visitor centre

in Frijoles (bean) Canyon towards the big kiva, Tyuonyi and the cliff dwellings.
 

Tyuonyi village

 

The trail climbs up to the base of the cliff

It was like climbing up into Swiss cheese, if there was a ladder you could climb up into the dwellings

 

which were surprisingly roomy inside, although I wouldn’t’ve liked to have lived in them, as they were a little claustrophobic and reminded me of the catacombs we visited in Malta.

 

Some of the dwellings.
 

There are petroglyphs all along the trail

These pictographs are behind a perspex sheet to protect them from the elements and vandals.

During the flash floods last year following the devastating Las Conchas fire the park service removed bridges to try and stop debris piling up and making the situation worse.   In places flash flood markers on the trees were about 8ft high.

 

After crossing Frijoles Creek, we followed the trail to look at Alcove House

 

I say look because it is a 140ft vertical ascent to get into Alcove House and there was absolutely no way we were going to climb up there.

 

Have fun, we are!