Bandelier National Monument offers stunning views and solitude beyond the main trails

Apr. 21—A feeling of reverence accompanies a descent into Frijoles Canyon. Whether it's your first trip or your 50th, the captivating beauty held within the high cliffs and the fascinating human history visible on the landscape impress upon visitors the sense that you are in a truly special place.

Bandelier National Monument is a can't-miss crowd-pleaser for vacationers passing through Northern New Mexico and a repeat hiking destination for local outdoor lovers.

The short hikes near the visitors center pack a visual feast and offer an immersive trip through time with up-close looks at cliff dwellings and extensive pueblo structures built by the Ancestral Pueblo people who inhabited the canyon from approximately 1150 C.E. to 1550 C.E.

There are some 70 miles of trails within the varied terrain of the 33,000-acre monument, but the vast majority of foot traffic occurs on just two miles of pathways that make up the Pueblo Loop and Alcove House trails. The heavy flow of traffic from spring through fall can at times make the park feel small and crowded.

In my early visits to Bandelier, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to break away from the pack.

More canyons, waterfalls, unique geological formations, secluded wilderness and expansive vistas of distant mountain ranges seen from mesa tops all can be found beyond the most popular trails. From an elevation of about 5,340 feet at Bandelier's southeast boundary along the Rio Grande to the 10,199-foot summit of Cerro Grande at the far northwest corner, there's a surprising diversity of habitats in the park's borders.

Bandelier's allure typically draws me back a few times a year and I've made a habit of purchasing a new $80 American the Beautiful interagency annual pass while visiting the park each April. I haven't yet hiked every trail in Bandelier, but I have enjoyed getting to know some of the stunning areas the average one-time visitor never sees.

For National Park Week, which this year runs from April 20-28, here are some hikes that offer different views of Bandelier's beauty that can be found beyond the park's main loop.

Frijoles Canyon Trail

The series of ladders that allow hikers to climb 140 feet above the floor of Frijoles Canyon into the impressive perch of Alcove House is a highlight of a trip to Bandelier for many people. But this is as far from the visitors center as the majority of hikers will go.

The trail through the canyon continues on for miles, and while this part of the park isn't packed with ancient dwellings like the Pueblo Loop Trail, it does give a look at what makes the Bandelier's backcountry special.

I'm always surprised by how few people I see along Frijoles Canyon Trail. The voices of the bustle of the main loop disappear and you can enjoy peace within the canyon.

The canyon eventually narrows significantly from what you see near the visitors center. The high cliff walls and variety of trees can sometimes provide shade from the sun. The trail passes near some tent rock formations and balancing rocks as it follows El Rito de los Frijoles up the canyon.

There are several stream crossings that are usually fairly easy to navigate, but can sometimes lead to wet feet if the water is high from spring runoff. The sound of the trickling stream, never too far from the trail, adds to the tranquility of the hike.

About five miles from the visitors center the canyon opens up again and the trail enters a heavily burned area from the 2011 Las Conchas Fire. You can either turn around and head back, or continue to the upper crossing and ascend the south rim to Frijoles Rim Trail to turn the hike into a more challenging loop of about 13 miles.

Falls Trail

Outside of the Pueblo Loop and Alcove House trails, Falls Trail is probably the next most popular hike in Bandelier. Still, it usually doesn't feel too crowded.

While the Alcove House and Pueblo Loop hikes head upstream from the visitors center, the Falls Trail hike goes downstream towards the Rio Grande. The nearly three-mile out-and-back hike descends a few hundred feet to the Upper Falls of El Rito de los Frijoles.

Though most people hike the trail because they want to see a waterfall, the geology of the canyon through this section is particularly interesting and shows clear features from eruptions of the Cerros del Rio Volcanic Field and the Jemez Volcano.

At one point down the trail, there's a clear demarcation when looking at the canyon walls of a boundary between dark basalt and lighter volcanic tuff. Bandelier's website explains that this represents where the old Rio Grande flowed before an eruption of the Jemez Volcano, which pushed the channel of the river southward with new ash deposits. A little farther downstream is another basalt-tuff boundary that outlines the far wall of the old Rio Grande channel.

There's also evidence of a maar volcano along the hike. A maar volcano is formed through highly-explosive eruptions caused by the interaction of magma and ground or surface water. Maar volcanoes are low and wide. The Bandelier website says this one was approximately two miles across and 100 feet high. Distinct layers of volcanic rock in the cliff wall clearly delineate the deposits from this feature.

An overlook offers views of the Upper Falls, which is approximately 80 feet tall. A trail used to go down to a Lower Falls and then to the nearby Rio Grande, but flooding in the wake of the Las Conchas Fire collapsed the surrounding cliffs and damaged the trail, which is now closed below the Upper Falls.

Alamo Canyon

Frijoles Canyon isn't the only scenic canyon in Bandelier. Alamo and Capulin canyons to the south also offer beautiful views, but take much more effort to see.

Alamo Canyon can be reached with a seven-mile out-and-back hike by following Long Trail and Middle Alamo Trail. The hike requires some taxing climbs and descents, including about a 600-foot initial ascent to reach the south rim of Frijoles Canyon.

From the mesa top there are sweeping views in all directions, with the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia mountain ranges easily visible.

After traversing a couple of drainages and a smaller canyon called Lummis Canyon, the stunning Alamo Canyon comes into view. The trail continues along the rim for a short distance before making its descent.

Alamo Canyon is narrower than the section of Frijoles Canyon that most visitors see, and some fallen trees make it more challenging to navigate, though the path through the canyon is fairly short before it climbs up the other wall.

Hikers can connect Middle Alamo, Upper Alamo and Frijoles Rim trails to form a strenuous loop of about 15 miles and 2,700 feet of elevation gain. With the continued exposure to the sun, the hike can feel very hot even on a 70-degree day and hikers should carry at least a few liters of water if doing the full loop.

Bandelier has many archaeological sites beyond Frijoles Canyon. Do not disturb the artifacts, structures or petroglyphs you may come across in the park and treat the land and its cultural resources with respect.

Cerro Grande

Valles Caldera National Preserve, Bandelier's nextdoor neighbor, is a geological marvel in its own right. The expansive volcanic caldera in the Jemez Mountains is an incredible sight to behold, and one of the best views of this wonder is from the highest point in Bandelier.

This area is accessed not in Frijoles Canyon but by driving N.M. 4 up into the Jemez. Before the road descends into the caldera there is a parking area and trailhead on the north side of the road.

Cerro Grande Trail is a 4.6-mile out-and-back that rises about 1,200 feet to an elevation of 10,119 feet at the mountain's peak. Hikers climb through a mixed conifer forest and wildflowers on the way to the top, where a spectacular 360-degree view awaits.

There can still be snow around the peak through April but it typically clears by May.

The scene to the west of Valles Caldera is the highlight, but mountain ranges are visible in every direction and the canyons of Bandelier can be seen when looking to the south.

These are just a handful of trails that highlight the variety of landscapes Bandelier has to offer. Every time I've picked a new trail that takes me away from the masses, I've felt immersed in a beauty and solitude that keeps me coming back for more.