BANDELIER News:
Want to take a hike and travel to space all in one day? Explore Bandelier, by daylight and moonlight, during two exciting events.
Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 8, followed from 9-11 p.m. by an Explore the Stars program.
Celebrate National Get Outdoors Day by engaging in healthy, active, outdoor fun on your public lands. Join the Bandelier Trails Program Lead Dale Coker for a hike on the Alamo Boundary Trail.
Coker will lead hikers on an easy trail for one mile to the monument boundary. Participants will then have the opportunity to connect to the Coyote Call Trail in the Valles Caldera National Preserve, where Coker will lead you to the Rabbit Ridge Trail.
While hiking the Rabbit Ridge Trail, hikers will have expansive views of both the caldera and the Dome Wilderness in Bandelier. Hike begins at 8 a.m. and participants will hike around 5 miles for 3-4 hours. The hike is easy to moderate and hiking poles may be helpful on uneven terrain. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and hiking footwear.
No additional fee for this activity. To reach the Alamo Boundary trailhead turn onto Forest Road 289 off of N.M. 4 near Milepost 43.5, then go approximately 1.5 miles to the parking lot.
Still have the energy for space travel? Then join a ranger at 9 p.m. at the Juniper Campground Amphitheater for Bandelier’s Explore the Stars program. Visitors will discover how to identify night sky objects like double stars, star clusters, and planets during a short multimedia presentation. Then participants can look at some of these galactic sights in telescopes set up by members of the Pajarito Astronomers and monument staff.
During the program, participants will be treated to a special constellation tour where you’ll take a trip through the stars with a very powerful green laser. Program will last two hours with no additional fee. Bring water, dress in layers, and no bright white flashlights.
Seating is provided in the amphitheater. Visitors are encouraged to bring personal telescopes and binoculars for night sky viewing. Can’t make this event? Don’t worry, Explore the Stars programs will be offered once a month during the summer. For dates and times call the Bandelier Visitor Center at 505-672-3861 ext. 517.
Want even more to do? A great way to enjoy the monument is by camping in Bandelier’s Juniper Campground. Visitors to the monument can drive into the campground, set up camp, and enjoy a variety of programs or pick up the Atomic City Shuttle into Frijoles Canyon to see the ancestral pueblo cliff dwellings.
