Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier National Monument protects more than 33,000 acres of rugged, beautiful canyon and mesa country as well as evidence of a human presence going back more than 11,000 years. Bandelier's diverse ecosystems make the monument the perfect home to a variety of wildlife, including mule deer, Albert's squirrels, lizards, and a number of bird species. Eleven thousand years ago, first humans hunted in the Pajarito Plateau, following the movement of large, now-extinct species of ancient bison and mammoths, crafting stone spear points and cutting tools. The ancestral Pueblo peoples lived here from approximately 1150 to 1550 CE, building homes carved from the volcanic tuff and planted crops in mesa top fields. Tuff, a soft rock formed from volcanic ash flows, is so soft that it could be shaped with hand tools to create hollowed-out houses and made into blocks for other homes. Along the Rio Grande, Pueblo peoples continue to live and adapt with oral traditions and beliefs connecting them with their ancestors. Visit this beautiful monument and experience these beautiful natural, historical, and cultural landscapes.