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.