Some things never fundamentally change, and I’m glad the Bandelier National Monument is one of them. Due to the flash flood that hit them in August 2011 (thanks to the fire of April 2011), parking is no longer allowed at the visitor’s center unless you arrive before 9:00 or after 3:00. Since its so far from any hotels, most people arrive inside of those hours and must park and ride the shuttle (free) from White Rock. Once there, the minor inconvenience seems trivial. There are several hikes within and that connect to the Monument that are easy to moderately difficult depending on weather. Just don’t forget to pack food, water and the 10 essentials.
New warnings due to the destructive flash flood of 2011, made possible by the fire of 2010
Starting out nice and early
Beautiful vistas every where we go
Mostly because there may be people on the trail below, but also because the ecosystem is fragile
Enjoying the waterfall view
Oh look. No need to bring your single-use plastic water bottles
Determined Robin = 1; Resistant Worm = 0
Cliff dwellings
Currently reached by ladder
Love that blue sky
Gorgeous rock formations allowing creative photography
A room with a window
He’s pretty content after having just eaten an insect right as we were snacking
The sky over Bandelier is just magnificent