Get in

Bandelier is most easily reached by automobile, there being no nearby bus or train stations. The nearest airport with significant commercial service is in Albuquerque, about 90 miles (150 km) away by road. Santa Fe is closer but has only very limited commercial air service. Los Alamos has no commercial air service but does have an airport suitable for private planes. (Note that its high elevation, single east-west runway, and rugged terrain make this airport quite a challenge to fly into/out of.) Rental cars may be obtained in any of these three cities. Bicycling to the monument is feasible for the fit cyclist, but the roads have a great deal of up-and-down and will challenge the cyclist recently up from sea level (the monument entrance is at an elevation near 6500 feet, or 2000 meters); puncture-resistant tires are also important as tire-penetrating thorns are common on the road.

To reach Bandelier from Santa Fe, follow US Highway 285 north to the small town of Pojoaque. Exit 285 on State Highway 502 heading west, following signs for Los Alamos until a fork in the road is encountered that directs travelers to Los Alamos via 502 or Bandelier/White Rock via State Highway 4. Follow the route on 4 (bear right at the fork). This highway leads directly to Bandelier, passing en route the small town of White Rock, an outlying part of Los Alamos. The photographically-inclined traveler may wish to take the left fork instead for a short distance, as the road climbs the side of a colorful mesa en route to Los Alamos, passing the stunning Clinton P. Anderson Scenic Overlook with superb views of the canyon-and-mesa country with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background. Photography from this viewpoint is particularly rewarding at sunrise and sunset. Retracing the route leads back to the fork, and a right-hand turn (sic!) then connects with 4 and Bandelier.

Get around

The visitor center and most other areas of interest to the casual visitor are in Frijoles Canyon, past the entrance station on good but steep paved road. The road descends along the side of the canyon, with some exposure, and may be a bit intimidating to the motorist unused to mountain driving. Parking at the bottom can be tight during peak periods. The monument may offer shuttle service from Juniper Campground, on the mesa top near the entrance station, depending on time of year, funding, etc. Parking in a separate lot is available (and required) for backpackers planning on hiking into the backcountry from trailheads near the visitor center.

Some outlying areas (see under "Do" and "Get Out") are far enough from the visitor center to require driving to reach them. The routes to the Tsankawi outlier and the cross-country ski trails are on good paved road (State Highway 4), although the road to the skiing can be snow-packed and hazardous during winter months. Some of the backcountry trailheads are reached from St. Peters Dome Road, off State Highway 4 in the Jemez Mountains via a gravel forest road. Passenger cars can negotiate the forest road, but a high-clearance vehicle may be desirable for reaching the trailheads. There is no shuttle service from the main monument sites to these areas.