Lower Frijoles Trail

The Low Down

The Lower Frijoles Trail is one of the many backcountry trails at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. It's the backcountry trail most accessible to the first-time visitor, and offers a fine exposure to the canyon-and-mesa scenery of Bandelier, with a couple of attractive (seasonal) waterfalls en route to the Rio Grande.

Looking down-canyon toward the Rio Grande

Getting There

Bandelier National Monument is on New Mexico state road 4 near Los Alamos. Follow the access road through the entrance station ($6/person or $12/vehicle, Park Pass applicable) to the visitor center. If you're only doing the main loop trail and/or this one, you can park in the main lot if you can find space. However, if you're extending your hike beyond this trail, park in the secondary lot across Rito de los Frijoles, the creek in the canyon bottom. The trailhead is at the eastern (down-canyon) end of this secondary lot, with an obvious sign nearby.

Route Finding

The only route-finding problem on this one is at the very beginning of the trail, where there is a nexus of trail junctions to navigate. Simply stay on the south side of creek, on the trail that maintains elevation rather than going up the canyon wall or back over the creek, and proceeds down-canyon (away from the visitor center). The trails sort themselves out after a short distance, and if you find yourself heading down-canyon 50 feet or so above the canyon bottom, you're on the right trail.

The trail has a few minor ups and downs in the first mile or two, as it avoids some cliffy sections and constrictions in the canyon, generally rising to 100 feet or so above the canyon floor. Around the 2-mile mark it descends a few minor switchbacks to the canyon bottom and crosses to the north side of the canyon, with nice views of Upper Frijoles Falls (photo at right) where the Rito de los Frijoles drops over a basalt cliff. Stay on the trail through here; the canyon walls are steep, footing can be loose, and there may be people above and below you on the switchbacks. Serious injuries have resulted due to rockfall here, even though the trail looks (and is) well-constructed and -maintained.

Stream crossings on good bridges continue from here down the canyon, past Lower Frijoles Falls en route to the Rio Grande and your turnaround point. Trails near the Rio join this one, mainly in the downstream direction and leading deeper into the Bandelier backcountry, but also coming from upstream near the town of White Rock. Extended backpacking trips using this network of trails are feasible but will be described in a separate page.

Trail Resources

Helpful Hints

Water in the Rito de los Frijoles, and particularly the Rio Grande, should not be consumed; carry your own water with you. It's also a good idea to use the bathrooms at the visitor center before you head out, as there aren't any satisfactory places for heeding the call of nature until you get near the Rio Grande, where the canyon bottom broadens out.

Activities Allowed

Hiking and backpacking. Don't even think about going rock climbing here; not only is it prohibited, the soft, friable tuff makes the Bandelier canyons a rockfall accident looking for a place to happen.

External Links