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Petroglyphs Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 21
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New Mexico
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Petroglyphs Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 21
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Petroglyphs (carved drawings) are far more common than pictographs (painted drawings) at Bandelier. Do you see the carving of a macaw under the overhang? How about the one of an elk to the left of the macaw?<br /> <br /> The people of Frijoles Canyon lived, worked, laughed, and died here for over four centuries. In that time, they learned to grow crops, read the weather and the stars, use the abundant natural resources, and live comfortably. However, like all cultures and all societies, things change. Frijoles and the surrounding areas of Bandelier were not abandoned. There was no mysterious migration or sudden disappearance of its people. Old systems gave way to new traditions and ways of life. Although the pueblo people have not lived in the canyon since the late 1500’s, a deep spiritual connection still exists. Pueblo residents often come to visit, remember, and teach the next generation about life in the canyon when their ancestors lived here. We can do the same and take care of it for future generations.<br /> <br /> This is the end of the Pueblo Loop Trail. Continuing and crossing the creek will bring you to the junction with the Alcove House Trail. Turn right to go the half mile to Alcove House, another cliff dwelling 140 feet above the canyon floor with four large ladders to climb up and down. Or turn left to return the half mile back to the Visitor Center and parking. In winter it may be best to back track on the trail you just walked, as the rest of the trail and the creek crossing, can be slick and icy.
Rock Drawings Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 20
~0 min drive
Also look for numerous petroglyphs (carved rock drawings) as you stroll past Long House. There are hundreds of them in this location. There is also a pictograph (painted drawing) under glass. Once upon a time this pictograph was covered with plaster. It was uncovered during ea…
Long House Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 19
~0 min drive
For the next hundred yards you will be walking past Long House. Look for the base layers of rocks that served as the bottom of walls. Today these look-like outlines of stone boxes but once they would have stood several stories high. Take a closer look at the cliff wall behind…
Orchard Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 18
~0 min drive
The trees below you are what is left of a historic orchard. When Evelyn Frey, her husband, and son arrived in 1925 to run the park’s first concession they brought dozens of fruit trees with them.
Fire Tyuonyi Overlook Trail Stop 4
~0 min drive
Fire has always been a part of life in the Bandelier area and fires likely burned this area many times while the Ancestral Pueblo people lived here. From studying tree rings scientists know that the natural fire cycle here was a low intensity fire every fifteen years or so. In…
Junction Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 17
~0 min drive
At this point, you may turn right to continue on to Long House and Alcove House or turn left to return to the Visitor Center for a shorter walk.
Native Plants Tyuonyi Overlook Trail Stop 3
~0 min drive
The Ancestral Pueblo people had an agricultural-based society and relied heavily on the crops they could produce, storing as much as possible in times of plenty for the years when a dry season produced scarcer harvests. During those times, knowledge of native plants was essent…
Frey Trail
~0 min drive
The Frey Trail is a historic trail that travels from the park visitor center in Frijoles Canyon up onto the mesa and Juniper Family Campground. Distance one way is 2 miles and approximately 550 feet elevation change. Lots of great vistas and closeup encounters with the Piñon-…
Frey Trail Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 16
~0 min drive
The dirt trail to your right is the Frey Trail, named after an early concessionaire in the park. If you follow this trail, it will switchback its way out of the canyon, gaining approximately 500 feet in the climb. There are excellent views back into the canyon as the trail asc…
Cave Kiva Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 15
~0 min drive
This is Cave Kiva. Unlike the other cavates you could climb into, this one is a kiva. Do you remember earlier on this walk when you saw Big Kiva? This cavate was used for the same purpose as Big Kiva. Unfortunately, this kiva cavate must be smoked and replastered regularly to…
Cavate Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 14
~0 min drive
Have you notice anything different about the cavates you have entered by climbing ladders? They all have concrete floors. Without the concrete to protect them from our footwear, the natural cavate floors would have been worn deeply by our entering these significant features. R…
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