Cliff rooms
Carved into tuff.
pedrik — CC BY 2.0 · Larry Lamsa — CC BY 2.0 · SarahStierch — CC BY 4.0 · pedrik — CC BY 2.0 · Marinainusa — CC BY-SA 4.0
Bandelier National Monument covers about 136 square kilometres of the Pajarito Plateau near Los Alamos, New Mexico, on the slopes of the Jemez Mountains, about 37 km in a straight line west of Santa Fe. It preserves the homes and lands of Ancestral Puebloans, and most of its structures date from between 1150 and 1600. It was declared a national monument in 1916 and named after Adolph Bandelier, a Swiss-American anthropologist who studied the cultures of the area. More than 70 per cent of it is wilderness, rising over 1,500 m from the Rio Grande to the rim of the Valles Caldera, and more than 110 km of hiking trails cross it. In Frijoles Canyon, the Ancestral Puebloans carved small rooms into the soft volcanic tuff of the cliffs, and today wooden ladders lead up to some of them. The pale cliff faces are pitted with holes and alcoves, a creek runs through pines and cottonwoods on the canyon floor, and the mesas above give wide views. Entry is paid. In the busy season, daytime visitors may need to take a shuttle bus from the nearby town of White Rock, so check before you go. Climb the ladders with care, and bring water and a hat, as the sun is strong at this altitude.
Carved into tuff.
Up to the rooms.
Creek and trees.
Near Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States
It may be required by day in the busy season; check ahead.
Some, by wooden ladders.