Bandelier National Monument - Directions (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS Photo

Access to the park today is relatively easy compared to the past.

By Car

Visitors traveling on I-25 (ie From Santa Fe)
Take Interstate-25 exit 282B (St Francis/ US HWY 84/285) for Santa Fe. Travel north on HWY 285 for 19 miles; you will go straight through the city. Exit onto State HWY 502 near the Cities of Gold Casino in Pojoaque. Travel west 11.5 miles, follow the signs to Bandelier and merge onto HWY 4. Travel west on HWY 4 for 11.5 miles, through the town of White Rock. The Bandelier Monument entrance is on the left side of the road.

Scenic alternative route for those going north on I-25
Near Bernalillo, take Interstate-25 exit 232 (Rio Ranch) for US HWY 550, continue for 23.5 miles. At San Ysidro, exit onto HWY 4. Travel northeast over the mountains for 54 miles to the park entrance which will be on the right side of the road. This is a good paved road that passes by the Valles Caldera National Preserve. However, it does go above 9,000 feet in elevation and is not advisable in winter weather.

Visitors traveling from Taos
Take NM HWY 68 (Paseo del Pueblo Sur) south for 47 miles. In Espanola, turn right onto East Paseo de Onate (N HWY 285/84); travel 3/4 mile on this road across the Rio Grande. At the light, turn left onto HWY 30 (Los Alamos HWY) and travel south for 8.5 miles. Bear right onto the HWY 502 ramp and travel west for 2 miles. Then merge onto HWY 4 and travel west for 11.5 miles, through the town of White Rock. The entrance to Bandelier will be on the left side of the road.

Public transportation to the monument is not available. Some private tour companies include Bandelier on their guided bus tours. Visit the New Mexico tourism website for more information.