A Guide to Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier is a National Monument containing about 35,000 acres. We've hiked Frijoles Canyon several times over the years. This hike on a paved 1.2 mile track takes you past several pueblo homes, kivas, rock paintings and petroglyphs. A short trail extends beyond this loop and leads to Alcove House, a shelter cave produced by erosion and containing a small, reconstructed kiva. We've also explored several miles of additional trails in the Monument two years ago, and found this Guide to Bandelier National Monument by Dorothy Hoard to be exceptionally accurate and educational. Hoard is something of an institution in Los Alamos. She, her husband and their four kids arrived in 1963 and for ten years we "walked down every canyon and every mesa in Bandelier," which led to the publication of this book. She also founded Friends of Bandelier in 1987. She also spent ten years cataloging Los Alamos County petroglyphs, resulting in the excellent Sentinels on Stone: The Petroglyphs of Los Alamos. Reflecting the advice given on the ground to another Reviewer here, the official website describes the Guide: "This is the complete hiker's guide to Bandelier. Included are detailed trail descriptions, trail mileages, and three-dimensional line maps for all the trails within the monument. Illustrated with many black and white photographs as well as descriptions of the plants and animals common to the area, this is an invaluable companion for anyone venturing into the backcountry of the park." If you would like to learn more about this treasure, you would find the following books of interest: The Delight Makers by Adolph Bandelier in 1890. Bandelier spent much of his life in this area, and "this novel offers a unique look at Ancestral Pueblo life as it might have been centuries ago." The Peopling of Bandelier: New Insights from the Archaeology of the Pajarito Plateau (Popular Southwest Archaeology) by Robert P. Powers. According to the Feds, "archaeologists, historians, ecologists, and Pueblo contributors use new and innovative research to present the complex human story of Bandelier National Monument. The reader is introduced to the first Paleo-Indian residents, continuing through the Ancestral Pueblo People of the 14th and 15th centuries, and concluding with Bandelier's role in the birth of American archaeology. Full-color photographs and a lively writing style make this book perfect for professional as well as arm-chair archaeologists." And for kids, check out the delightful Exploring Bandelier National Monument (Exploring Bandelier), available at the Monument if you can't find it elsewhere. Robert C. Ross 2008

Two friends and I recently went on a four day backpacking trip into Bandelier. While one guy dealt with the rangers to get the permit, I wandered the book racks and found two guidebooks. I asked the ranger which one he'd recommend and he indicated the Dorothy Hoard book. He was right. Good basic info about what you'll see in different corners of the park--plants, animals, etc. It also features excellent drawings of the terrain and trails, done in a three-dimensional style that clearly shows what you're crossing.