Bandelier National Monument has over 70 miles of trail within its boundaries and many more miles that connect out into the adjacent Santa Fe National Forest Lands.
Trails tend to follow mesa edges or transect canyons and mesas. Some of these trails include steep switchbacks and long drop-offs. Trails can be very icy in winter or early spring. Some trails marked on older maps are no longer maintained and may be impossible to find.
The most popular of these trails are the Main Loop Trail and Alcove House Trail which are accessed from the visitor center in Frijoles Canyon. These trails take you to many Ancestral Pueblo sites.
The Falls Trail is another trail that is very popular. It takes you to a beautiful waterfall. Before the flash floods of 2011 the trail continued to the Lower Falls and ultimately to the Rio Grande. Flooding destroyed the trail leaving no access to the Rio Grande from Frijoles Canyon. There are no archeological sites on this trail.
A permit is required for any overnight stays in the Bandelier backcountry. Permits are free, must be obtained in person anytime the visitor center is open except for the last 20 minutes before closing. You may obtain a permit the day of your trip, or a maximum of 48 hours before your planned backcountry trip begins.
