Tyuonyi – Main Loop Trail. Courtesy/NPSBANDELIER News:
Many locations throughout the area will be closed Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22, but Bandelier National Monument will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Visitor Center hours.
Every year, many visitors, some with guests for the holiday, come to the park in the morning while their holiday feast is cooking or in the afternoon to walk it off! Frijoles Canyon is a popular place when temperatures are mild and the sun is shining. The lower angle of the sun provides light that gives the canyon walls richer color and helps make the petroglyphs easier to see than in summer.
Park staff suggest arriving early to avoid crowded parking lots. Plus with the shorter days, arriving mid to late afternoon may limit your opportunities to explore as the canyon gets chilly and by 5 p.m. is nearly dark.
“Come out and enjoy your park! Please stay on the trails and take good care of this fragile place that belongs to all of you,” Bandelier Superintendent Jason Lott said.
America the Beautiful Passes, good for entry to parks nationwide, or Bandelier Passes, which provide unlimited visits to the park for a year, are available. The Visitor Center, park store and administrative offices in Frijoles Canyon will be closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Weather permitting, the park is open every day from dawn to dusk.
For more information about Bandelier National Monument, contact the Bandelier Visitor Center at 505.672.3861 x 517 or visit www.nps.gov/band, on Facebook, BandelierNPS.
