Ruins of 13th-century cliff houses and pueblo-style dwellings dot the rugged, canyon-slashed slopes and bottoms of the Pajarito Plateau. Bandelier National Monument spans over 32,000 acres of tan cliffs, forested mesas, and deep gorges, of which more than 23,000 acres are designated wilderness with 70 miles of backcountry trails. The terrain is challenging and the scenery spectacular, with elevations ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 feet, and lush, narrow canyons that alternate with sweeping mesa-top vistas.

Activities include sightseeing at pueblo ruins, backpacking, dayhiking, camping, picnicking, photography, and bird watching.

• Bandelier National Monument -

• Backpack the high forested mesa lands along the edges of upper Frijoles Canyon.
• Explore the many pueblo, cliff, and cave dwellings in the Tyunyi area, a short hike north of the visitor center.
• Hike down canyon to view Upper and Lower Frijoles Falls and continue to the confluence with the renowned Rio Grande river.