← New Mexico guide · National Monument
Bandelier · A day that begins with one good stop.
See your first dayWhy this place matters
Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of ruggedly beautiful canyon and mesa country. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.
Read the full NPS story ↗
A flexible first day
These are ways to explore, not a timed itinerary. Check conditions before you set out.
Start with the visitor center and Frijoles Canyon route.
Continue to a longer trail only when heat and access allow.
Shuttles, flood risks, and trail closures can affect plans.
Find your bearings
Switch stops to see where this chapter sits in the wider state.
Outline: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary files. Points show guide starting areas and NOAA stations.
NOAA 1991–2020 · monthly normals
These stations show two parts of the state; neither is a forecast or necessarily local to this site.
No monthly snowfall normal is published for this station. Choose the other station to compare snow.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 30.4 | 34.1 | 41.5 | 48.2 | 57.2 | 67.2 | 69.6 | 67.3 | 61.5 | 50.6 | 39.1 | 30.5 |
Normal = 1991–2020 average at the named NOAA station. Snowfall is new snow over a month, not snow currently on the ground. A blank NOAA snow series is shown as unavailable, never as zero. See current NOAA snow depth ↗
Weather changes the trip
Shuttles, flood risks, and trail closures can affect plans. The graph above uses a named NOAA station; conditions at this place may differ with elevation and weather. Check the local NWS forecast ↗
Keep exploring New Mexico
Include a Santa Fe gallery and food day, or explore Albuquerque neighborhoods between park chapters. See current events ↗
Make the trip yours
Tell WTDO your dates, where you start and how you travel. The first plan is free.
Plan this trip free