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Bandelier National Monument

15 Entrance Road · Los Alamos, NM

Why you should go…

Carved and built into volcanic tuff cliffs, Bandelier's dwellings and ceremonial kivas were home to Ancestral Puebloan people for roughly 400 years. The main Pueblo Loop Trail is an easy walk, with wooden ladders letting visitors climb into a few of the cliffside rooms.

  • #national monument
  • #ruins
  • #hiking
  • #history

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Bandelier National Monument, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Attractions
    Quirky Fun

    Meow Wolf: House of Eternal Return

    $25–$50

    A walk-through art installation inside a converted bowling alley, where a mysterious house hides portals to other worlds.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Shopping
    Iconic

    Santa Fe Indian Market

    Free

    The world's largest juried Native American art market, held annually on the Santa Fe Plaza.

    17 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Nambe Falls Recreation Area

    Under $25

    A double-drop waterfall and lake on Nambe Pueblo land, with trails, fishing, kayaking and camping.

    19 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

    Under $25

    The largest collection of Georgia O'Keeffe's work anywhere, steps from the plaza that inspired much of it.

    19 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Sandia Peak Tramway

    $25–$50

    One of the world's longest aerial trams, lifting riders 4,000 feet to a summit overlooking five states.

    41 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    History Buff

    Petroglyph National Monument

    Free

    Thousands of images carved into volcanic rock by Ancestral Puebloan and Spanish settlers over 700 years.

    51 mi awayMore like this