Why you should visit Bandelier in Santa Fe.
Step into Bandelier National Monument, and you’ll find more than cliffs and trails — you’ll be stepping into the deep memory of the Southwest. Carved into volcanic tuff, the ancient dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people rise like honeycombs against canyon walls, ladders leaning skyward as if time itself paused mid-climb.
These ruins are not relics of a vanished people, but reminders of resilience, community, and adaptation in one of North America’s harshest landscapes.
What you didn’t know about Bandelier.
Bandelier is not just ruins in stone — it’s a story of innovation. The dwellings, kivas, and petroglyphs etched into the cliffs date back over 800 years, representing the lifeways of the Ancestral Puebloans who thrived here long before Europeans arrived. Many homes were carved directly into soft rock, connected by hand-cut ladders that still invite visitors upward.
This place is also a record of continuity. Descendants of those who lived here — including modern Pueblo communities along the Rio Grande — maintain ties to the land. For them, Bandelier is not a museum but a place where ancestral voices still carry in the canyons.
How to fold Bandelier into your Santa Fe trip.
Just under an hour’s drive from Santa Fe, Bandelier makes for a perfect half-day escape into nature and history. The Main Loop Trail is an easy, family-friendly path that winds past cave dwellings, ladders, and kivas, giving you a close-up view of the cliff homes. For those seeking solitude, longer hikes lead into the backcountry, where the echoes of ancient life feel even stronger.
Visit in the morning or late afternoon for the best light against the golden cliffs, and don’t miss climbing one of the wooden ladders — it’s a rare chance to step directly into the rooms carved centuries ago. Pair your visit with nearby Los Alamos or a scenic drive through the Jemez Mountains to make it a full day.
Hear it from the Foresyte community.
“Climb up the ladders and suddenly you’re in someone’s old living room carved into rock. It’s wild thinking people actually called this home. Makes your apartment feel boring.”
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