Explore Bandelier National Monument's Ancient Ruins

Discover this less crowded national park site! Bandelier National Monument Yes, Mesa Verde gets put on all the lists because it’s amazing… but Bandelier is so much easier. And at less than an hour from Santa Fe, this one’s easier to get to. 🪜Start at the Visitor Center to learn about the Ancestral Puebloans who lived here from 1100 to 1500 BC. 🪜Head out on the trail through the Frijoles Canyon to walk past the ancient pueblo ruins at ground level. 🪜Climb scary ladders to enter the rooms carved into the sides of the canyon. 🪜Work on your Junior Ranger packet. 🪜Take a longer trail to the waterfalls - didn’t do this. 🪜And make sure you sing your #classicalconversations history song about the Anasazi! 🎶🎤 If you head to Bandelier National Monument, you’re only minutes from the Los Alamos National Laboratory and several hours from so many more. I do love this southwest area! Bonus tip: Go in the fall. The trees are lovely and it’s not so stinkin’ hot. 👉Save this for your Southwestern US travel itinerary. And make sure you start coming up with an excuse to avoid those crazy ladders! 😉 . . . . ——// Make sure you’re following me @reclaimingwonders for more real-life tips to simplify family travel and learning with a side of snark. 😄🏕️🥾\\——- . . . . .