Bandelier National Monument Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
U.S. national park in New Mexico
About Bandelier National Monument
As with other units of the national park system, Bandelier was created for both conservation and recreation. The primary resources being conserved are cultural (archaeological and anthropological) and scenic (canyon and mesa country, merging into mountain scenery at the upper end of the park). Both follow from Bandelier's setting atop thePajarito Plateau, a gigantic, ancient (1-2 million year old) ash flow from a volcanic eruption in the nearbyJemez Mountains, that over time has eroded into a network of canyons and mesas. This rugged terrain is responsible for both the scenic beauty of the monument and the capacity of this otherwise arid landscape to maintain an indigenous population that lived along the streams in the canyons, and in some cases, on the mesa tops above them. The early
Where to Stay in Bandelier National Monument
- 🏨Juniper Campground
- 🏨National Parks Service Alamo Canyon Campground
- 🏨Ponderosa Group Campground
Bandelier National Monument Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: