Nov 04, 2017 — Bandelier National Monument is known for its preservation of ancestral dwellings. This hike visits some of the main highlights of the main canyon, including Long House, Alcove House, and Frijoles Falls. I thought the combination of human history and the natural waterfall made this a particularly nice little hike.
First I set out to check out the human elements. The Pueblo Loop Trail is paved and gets quite close to a bunch of the history. You can even enter some of the dwellings near Long House, including a kiva. A bit of walking before heading along the Rito de Los Frijoles (a stream) leaves much of the crowds behind, and is required to get to Alcove House. This is a unique spot, where a bunch of wooden ladders lead up to a dwelling that's nestled under a big alcove in the cliffs above.
I backtracked and decided to make the hike a little longer (and avoid backtracking on the paved trail) by leaving the Pueblo Loop Trail and ascending along Long Trail to reach the Frijoles Rim Trail on west side of the canyon in order to look down at the pueblos from above. This was a nice addition to get some light exercise. The trail ascended slowly to the rim, traversed the rim, and then descended on tight switchbacks back to the Visitor Center.
Back at the trailhead, I continued to Frijoles Falls using the trail that shares the name. The pretty trail leads down Frijoles Canyon to an overlook of Upper Falls. It was easy to follow, and the pocketed cliffs on either side of the canyon combined with the colorful fall leaves were unique and interesting enough for me to be able to avoid thinking about how many people were on the trail. The Frijoles Falls Trails usually continues onward to the Rio Grande, but unfortunately it was closed dur to wash-out past the Upper Falls leading to the Lower Falls, and was completely gone past the Lower Falls, likely requiring serious construction to get it back in shape.
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