The Night Sky Program is one of several weekend evening ranger programs offered this summer at Bandelier. Courtesy/NPS
BANDELIER News:
Beginning this weekend, July 3 and 4, Bandelier National Monument will offer their summer slate of weekend evening ranger programs.
“We hope everyone will join us sometime this summer. Summer evenings are so special at Bandelier – don’t miss the opportunities to come enjoy the programs and the park,” Superintendent Jason Lott said.
Friday nights throughout July and August will feature the long-popular Nightwalks. These are silent walks in the dark through the Ancestral Pueblo dwellings in Frijoles Canyon, with poetry and storytelling. Numbers are limited so sign-ups are required; call the Visitor Center at 505.672.3861 x 517. There is no minimum age, but anyone attending must be able to refrain from talking throughout the hour-long program.
Saturday nights alternate between Night Sky talks and Evening Programs. Night Sky talks include a presentation on astronomy, followed by viewing with telescopes. Evening Programs are ranger talks about various aspects of Bandelier, accompanied by pictures on the big amphitheater screen. This Saturday, July 4, the Evening Program will be “Wild About Bandelier”, exploring the diversity of life in the many life zones found in the park.
There is no additional charge for any of these programs, including the Nightwalks, which previously required a fee. Being outdoors, all are dependent on weather. Campers and non-campers are welcome.
Dates for the rest of the summer:
- Night Sky Programs – 7/11, 7/25, 8/8, 8/22;
- Evening Programs – 7/4, 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/5; and
- Nightwalks – 7/3, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/21, 8/28.
For more information, call the Bandelier Visitor Center at 505.672.3861 x 517. The park website is found at nps.gov/band, and the Facebook page at BandelierNPS.
