Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos

This is an awesome little gem in New Mexico. If you’re interested in historical places, you’ll love this beautiful place. There are ancestral Puebloan dwellings well preserved in the faces of the cliffs. They’ve setup a few of them for access to explore, which is a really cool experience. There are some really great hikes, and the best are the ones that take you through the entire dwelling areas and then to the Alcove House (which to get to the Alcove you’ll have to climb up 3 tall wooden ladders, and a few short ones). I highly recommend doing the Alcove House, but be warned, if you’re not good with heights, then you may want to view from the ground. Another great hike was the Falls Trail, which takes you to a beautiful waterfall. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THE AREA!! One of the dwellings was closed off from exploration thanks to vandalism, which is just so disgusting. Please don’t ruin the experience for others! If you’re ever in the area, check it out! Very beautiful and peaceful hikes, and a very unique place.

An amazing place. We took a chance on stopping by on our way home from Colorado. Turned out to be a wise choice. Both Visitor Centers were interesting and the volunteers extremely helpful. The short bus ride was nice, got to pay attention to the scenery not the driving. The canyon views are beautiful. The village and cliff dwellings are viewed by a short hike and the additional hike to The Alcove House is worth it. The plant and wildlife are abundant. I hope they give this national treasure National Park status soon, consider it is one of the older monuments. BTW...the Park Cafe have excellent bison and elk burgers, excellent fare for after the hike.

I’ve always want to see cave dwellings and finally got to check it out. Pretty quick drive from Albuquerque. We got on a bus at the visitor center in town and they take you up to the park. We had a National park card so got in for free. Short walk and you can see the dwellings. Really cool place. You can climb a few ladders and go inside. Just a really interesting place and I would recommend to anyone interested in history

Breathtaking hike to view the homes of the Pueblo Indians. A must see when in the area. During the summer months after 9am, you must take a shuttle from White Rock up to Bandelier due to limited parking at the monument. It was nice to get to ride and view some of the dwellings on the way, however. you can climb inside some of the dwellings. The Alcove house is worth the hike, but be prepared for a climb in direct sun. I do not recommend if you are afraid of heights. Bring water and wear sunscreen during the summer/fall time as you are in the sun both ways hiking. There is some shade on the trail but not much. Very cute little gift shop and cafe onsite as well.

There is so much to do and explore. There are several trails for every level of walker or hiker. $25 for a vehicle pass that is good for a week, so many opportunities to go explore. There is camping there as well. Beautiful drive there and back. Looking forward to our next trip there.