Nature Trail

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 6023 - 6056 feet
Cellphone: 2-4 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Visitor Center
Fee: $15/person or $25/vehicle
Attractions: Interpretive trail

The Nature trail in the Bandelier National Monument near Los Alamos, New Mexico begins and ends off of the Main Loop trail by following a route along the north side of Frijoles Creek through a mixed forest that includes ponderosa pine, boxelder, juniper and cottonwood trees.

To get to the Nature trail begin behind the Visitor Center by following the Main Loop.

The Nature trail branches off of the Main Loop just under a quarter mile from the Visitor Center. At present the trail doesn't have a sign of its own so the only way to identify it is from the map in the free brochure they hand out at the Visitor Center.

Being unpaved the Nature trail is a little more primitive than the Main Loop.

Signs along the trail help visitors to identify a few of the local plants and trees.

Shade and seclusion are a couple of the added benefits of hiking the Nature trail.

The Nature trail meets back up with the Main Loop just past the Tyuonyi Pueblo. Hikers have the option at this point of going to the left toward the Frey trail and Long House or to the right toward Tyuonyi and the Visitor Center or simply turning around and returning the way they came.

There is another nice exhibit of local plants in the courtyard behind the Visitor Center that is well worth checking out for those that like knowing the names of the different plants they will see while hiking in the Bandelier National Monument. As far as the Nature trail goes it is a nice alternative route for hikers going to an from the Tyuonyi Pueblo. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.