Day Trips from Santa Fe: Bandelier National Monument
Note: This post was written in partnership with Tourism Santa Fe. However, as always, all opinions are my own.
If you’re traveling to Santa Fe, New Mexico, I highly recommend visiting Bandelier National Monument. Bandelier National Monument is hands down one of the best day trips from Santa Fe. It combines beautiful scenery with some of the best preserved and most interesting Native American ruins in the country.
Bandelier National Monument is only a one hour drive from Santa Fe, making it at easy half day excursion. Keep reading to learn all about Bandelier National Monument and why it’s an ideal day trip from Santa Fe!
What is Bandelier National Monument?
Bandelier National Monument is a national monument located in New Mexico, not too far from the town of Los Alamos. Set in Frijoles Canyon, the park contains ancestral pueblo homes (including cave dwellings), ceremonial structures called kivas, rock paintings and petroglyphs from the Native American tribes who used to live in the area.
Visitors to the park are allowed to climb into the ancient cave dwellings and climb wooden ladders to explore the park’s hills and cliffs. Visiting Bandelier National Monument is a great way to learn more about Native American history and culture in New Mexico.
If you’re more of a nature lover than a history buff, the park has over 70 miles of hiking trails, interesting volcanic rock formations and stunning views of the area.
History of Bandelier National Monument
About 10,000 years ago, nomadic hunter-gatherers followed migrating wildlife across New Mexico. As time passed, they began to build more permanent homes in areas including where Bandelier National Monument now sits.
Around 1550 CE, the Ancestral Pueblo people moved into pueblos along the Rio Grande river, leaving behind their former cave dwellings, rock paintings and petroglyphs in what is now Bandelier National Monument. You can also find shards of pottery throughout the site – although it is okay to touch them, please do not remove any of them from the park.
The park was designated a monument in 1916, and it is also a National Historic Landmark.
Location + Getting There
Bandelier National Monument is located at 15 Entrance Road, Los Alamos, NM. It’s about an hour drive from Santa Fe, making it one of the best day trips from Santa Fe.
I recommend renting a car to visit the park, although it can also be reached by bicycle or motorcycle.
Directions from Santa Fe:
- Head down Saint Francis Drive (HWY 84/285) north toward Los Alamos.
- After passing Pojoaque, merge right onto New Mexico 502 to Los Alamos.
- Continue up 502 toward Los Alamos. Hang right and exit onto New Mexico 4 towards White Rock. Continue on this road for 12 miles.
- The entrance to Bandelier National Monument will be on your left
When to Go
The best time of year to visit Bandelier National Monument is spring, summer or fall. It’s easy to forget that New Mexico has REAL WINTERS. Yes, they get snow. So, ideally, visit the park outside of the winter months.
Hours + Admission
The park is open from dawn until dusk all year. Winter hours for the visitor center are 9 AM to 5 AM and summer hours are 9 AM to 6 PM (current as of May 2019). You can find current information about the visitor center’s hours here.
Admission Fees:
- A 7-day entrance permit is $25 per vehicle. This entrance fee includes all people traveling in an up to 15 passenger non-commercial vehicle.
- A 7-day single entry permit is $15 per person, if you plan to visit the park on foot or by bicycle.
- A single day motorcycle entry permit is $20 for up to two persons.
- An annual pass is $45, and covers all passengers in a private vehicle or the passholder and their immediate family if you enter on foot or by bike.
You can find current information about admission fees for Bandelier National Monument here.
Shuttle Bus
During high season, between 9 AM and 3 PM, visitors are required to take a free shuttle bus from the visitor center to access the main trails in the park. The shuttle runs approximately every 30 minutes on weekdays, and every 20 minutes on weekends.
Camping
You are allowed to camp onsite at the Juniper Campground and the Ponderosa Campground (which is for large groups only). Camping fees for Juniper Campground are $12 per night and $35 per night for the Ponderosa group campsite.
Service Animals + Pets
Working service dogs are permitted in the park. Pets are only permitted in the parking lots.
Tours
Most people visit Bandelier without a guide, but we toured the park with Great Southwest Adventures. Their 5 hour guided tour of Bandelier National Monument is $95 per person.
The Experience
Most visitors take the Main Loop Trail, which is 1.2 miles/1.9 km long. It loops through the main archeological areas of the park. There are also portions of the hike that include wooden ladders if you want to climb up and explore the cave dwellings. This moderate hike takes about 45 minutes to an hour to complete.
Be prepared to walk through narrow passage ways at certain points during your hike.
You can also add an extra mile out and back if you want to visit Alcove House. Alcove House is located 140 feet above the floor of Frijoles Canyon. This vantage point was once home to approximately 25 Ancestral Pueblo people. If you want to visit this part of the park, Alcove House is reached by climbing up a number of stone stairs and 4 wooden ladders.
I highly recommend spending a half day at Bandelier National Monument if you’re going to be in the Santa Fe area. It combines the best of New Mexico’s history, culture and natural beauty, making it one of the best day trips from Santa Fe.
And if you’re trying to decide where to stay during your trip, you can check out my guide to the best hotels in Santa Fe here.
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