Bandelier National Monument hiking in frijoles canyon · Hiking in Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument
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Hiking in Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument
Hiking in Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier National Monument
Trails lead both upstream and downstream from the visitor center and loop trail. Downstream, the primary trail climbs a short distance above the canyon bottom (hot and exposed during summer) en route to Upper and Lower Frijoles Falls, two attractive if variable waterfalls where Rito de los Frijoles cascades over resistant basalt cliffs interbedded with the prevailing tuff. The falls are usually at their most scenic in spring, when runoff from the mountains upstream guarantees adequate water flow; in the fall they may be nearly dry. One may turn around at either falls or continue downstream to the Rio Grande, with good views along the way. Total round-trip distance is about 7 miles (12 km).
The upstream trail leads past Alcove House (see above) and into one of the monument's few sections of truly narrow canyon. (Tread carefully here in potential flash-flood conditions.) The Bandelier Wilderness is soon entered and the crowds are left behind; fewer hikers pass this way than downstream. The trail continues to "Upper Crossing," where a trail coming down the canyon side from Ponderosa Campground meets the canyon trail, crosses the stream and continues up the south side of the canyon and into the wilderness. Travel along the canyon bottom beyond this point becomes rugged. Note that camping is prohibited in Frijoles Canyon; the backpacker will need to follow one of the trails up the south wall (see next section) to a campsite deeper in the backcountry.
In addition to hiking in the canyon, hiking into the canyon is possible, both from Ponderosa Campground en route to Upper Crossing and from Juniper Campground near the main entrance. The Frey Trail starts at Juniper and switchbacks down the canyon side with terrific views, eventually reaching the main loop trail. Remember, what goes down must come back up; both the Frey Trail and the trail to Upper Crossing are gut-busters in the uphill direction. Try to arrange a car shuttle.
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Bandelier National Monument Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.