Bandelier National Monument is one of the most incredible sites I’ve ever visited. 

**How cool? Well, so cool that I don’t want to let it down.**

I’ve been waiting to write the because I’m actually not exactly sure how to express how different and memorable Bandelier was as a visit than other National Monuments. Because, of course, all the National Parks/Monuments/Recreation Areas are remarkable – right? But, still Bandelier stands out from the pack – it’s like an amazing mix of the traditional National-Park-style experience along side this sorta movie set exploration.

There’s just something so wow-awesome about climbing up twenty feet, crawling into a cave and then to be literally sitting in someone’s home – exactly where someone else sat (and because of the preservation of the land) seeing pretty-much what they saw. I mean you look down and there was the town (the summer homes) and their outline is crystal clear even in winter. You look up, and boom that’s black was where they protected their homes. You wander around and you are totally immersed in a lost world.

This is a necessary Day Trip if you’re visiting Santa Fe or Albuquerque. 

Getting There

Of course you can put Bandelier National Monument into any map app and it will lead you right there…but don’t do what we did or you’ll end up driving through a military base or being forced to turn around.

Keep it simple – There are very few turns from either Santa Fe or Albuquerque:

Santa Fe (about an hour)

• Get on the US-285N (from western Santa Fe its faster to get on US-285N)
• Merge onto the US-84W
• After about 11miles, turn onto NM-205 W
• At this point – there are signs for “Bandelier National Monument” the rest of the way
• Take NW-502 to NM-4W
• This will take you directly to your last Left Turn – into the park.

From Albuquerque (about 2 hours)

• Same directions as above, but preface with …
• Lave Albuquerque on I-25N (this will get you to Santa Fe)
• After about 78 miles Merge onto US-285 N/US-82W

Our Mis-Step

When I was planning my route, I saw a second way to reach Bandelier from NW-502. It looked like it had less turns so I choose that one to make the trip easier on Augustine (who’s stomach doesn’t always do well on mountain roads).

This alternate route takes NW-502 up through Los Alamos and rounds back to NM-4E. A large chuck of this route is actually through Los Alamos National Laboratory, a military facility. It ends up taking quite a bit longer this way, and the traditional route is not that curvy after-all. 

Arriving in Summer

Visiting Mid-May through about September (check site for specific info), there are two ways to visit the park:

• Arrive before 9am or after 3pm
• Take a shuttle from a nearby parking area. As these are run at the park’s discretion, check out their website for the most up-to-date info.

Don’t Forget to Bring

• Water bottle – Even if you’re just doing the Main Loop, it’s about an hour and you’ll want water
• Sunscreen – There is very little shade on the main loop trail.
• Snacks – Especially outside of Summer – The gift shop has some snacks but the restaurant is closed unless its high season.

The Experience

Before we went, all we knew about Bandelier was what we had gathered from Instagram…so, we knew there were cave dwellings. In case you’re in the same place, let me tell you what to expect from your visit. 

From the National Park entrance, the road gently leads down into the canyon floor parking area in about 5- 10 minutes. The parking area is where the monument’s amenities are located. Here you’ll find a Ranger Station, restrooms, gift shop & restaurant. Keep in mind the restaurant seems to be seasonal (it was closed for winter when we were there).

Ranger Station

The Ranger Station provides some free maps (which were not the easiest for us to find) and a more detailed map that costs a few dollars (which is really worth it). 

Reasons to pay for the Advanced Map : As far as our experience, the more information we had about what we were seeing – the better the experience. As we hiked, the experience was awesome but knowing more about what we were seeing and the specifics each site as we sat there made the experience better. (I’m going with better here because ‘richer’ or ‘more interesting’ make it seem like this was a heady experience but it wasn’t. This was just a really a cool immersive experience.)

Also at the ranger station is our #1 National Monument/Park experience – the Junior Ranger Program. You can pick up the workbook for your kid’s and return once complete to have your kids sworn in and given their official Junior Ranger Badge.

Behind the Ranger Station is a small garden with native plants, which go hand in hand with the Junior Ranger booklet. For adults, you can stop in here (less than 5 mins) and get the names of plants you’ll see along the way.

Main Loop Trail :: the main event

The easiest and quickest part of our visit was the 1.4  paved walk along the canyon wall that loops through the archeological site and gives visitors access to the cavates (human made alcoves). This hike took us about an hour, and overall the total time spent on the hike will depend on how many visitors are on the tails and also climbing up into the cavates.

*Overall our favorite spot on the hike was the maze-like series of pillars around points 12 & 13 on the official map.

*Even in winter, this walkway is shoveled and kept accessible to visitors.

As for our visit – I’m not sure what is an is not included in the official 1.4 mile measurement. But, if you are planning on just doing the loop – I would highly recommend adding on the short path that leads to the Long House. Even though the long house is only a variation on all the other previous cavates, along the way there are some very cool petroglyphs which I always think are amazing.

ADA Note – While this path is paved, there are still stairs which makes seeing the cavates up close difficult for people with mobility issues.

As you finish the Main Loop Trail, you’ll start seeing signs for the Alcove House Hike. It’s about 0.5 miles to the Alcove House (1 mile round trip). 

Adding on the Alcove House

So, what is the Alcove House, it’s Ceremonial Cave but what’s cool is it is 140 feet above the canyon floor. Actually, that’s not what makes it cool. What’s awesome is the series of ladders that climb up the rock face – the climb was very cool; even for our 6-year-old (though it was a bit nerve wracking at times). The actual Cave at the top is nice, but it’s the climb up that’s really, really worth the short extra hike.

*In winter, snow gathers along the tail on the way – which can lead to wet feet, and sometimes the ladders have to be closed due to ice. You can find out the status of the ladders at the Ranger Station before heading out.

Longer Stays at Bandelier

We added our trip to the National Monument on as a half-day/day-trip from Santa Fe. So, we didn’t do any of the longer trails or camping, but there are options for a longer waterfall hike as well as camping overnight.

For Kids

• Junior Ranger – As I mentioned before, Bandelier participates in the Junior Ranger Program. I’ve spoken to about a dozen parents over the last year about the Junior Ranger Program in general, and everyone only has great things to say about it – which really reflects our own experience. This is a great way for kids to get connected to the park, and, at this park, the rangers really support the program – making a point to take the swearing in seriously. This particular program is great for giving insight about the natural plats as well as a bit about the older civilization.
• Park Stamps – You can get your National Monument/Park stamp at the station nearby the gift shop.

Ok – the Secret Cavates Spot : Tsankawai Ruins

Driving to or from the official Bandelier Park entrance, you might catch a glimpse of a series of wooden ladders (kivas) – they seem really out of place. Well, this is an official section of Bandelier National Park, but it’s not necessarily part of the fee area.

When we drove past this spot was completely empty. Every local we talked to about it said it was their secret spot that’s never very crowded. But, some online researching says that it does get busy – especially during high season – still it’s probably always significantly less busy than the actual National Park.

If you’re wanting to visit, Bandelier has it’s own guide to help you find the unmarked entrance. : NPS Official Access Info

We Totally Loved Visiting Santa Fe

Santa Fe is one of our favorite cities we’ve ever visited because there are so many opportunities to see and interact with site like this – things that we haven’t found anywhere else.

If you’re looking for a completely unique and totally memorable family getaway for either a long weekend of full week getaway – you can check out our guide.