Bandelier National Monument

Located just northeast of Santa Fe just south of Los Alamos near White Rock, this is a must see if you’re in the area.

Named after Adolph Bandelier who discovered the cliff dwellings in 1880, this National Historic Landmark monument preserves the homes and territory of the Ancestral Puebloans. Most of the pueblo structures date to two eras, dating between 1150 and 1600 AD.This National Park contains one of the oldest human settlements discovered in the U.S.

Plan on a few hours to take the Main Loop Trail, a 1.2 mile loop trail through archaeological sites. Ladders along the trail allow you to climb into small human-carved alcoves called cavates. The Main Loop Trail takes you past the Big Kiva (a communal meeting place), Tyuonvi (the remnants of a two story. 400 room food storage structure), Talus House and Long House (multi-story dwellings built at the bottom of the cliffs).

Be sure to stop by the Visitor Center to pick up a trail guide to learn more about the 21 numbered sites along the trail and to see what the settlement looked like in 1150.