Tsankawi

The Low Down

Tsankawi is an outlying section of Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, USA. The short, attractive trail here gives you a chance to see an unexcavated archaeological site in beautiful mesa-top surroundings.

Getting There

Tsankawi is several miles away from the main part of Bandelier, on New Mexico state road 4 east of the town of White Rock. If arriving from Santa Fe, follow NM 4 at its junction with NM 502 (stay in the right-hand lane) for just a mile or so; if you reach the stoplight at East Jemez Road, you've gone just slightly too far. Park on the left side of the road in an obvious dirt lot. Coming from the west, go past White Rock to the intersection with East Jemez Road and park just beyond the light.

Route Finding

The trailhead is obvious (indeed, about the only place to go from the lot) and leads to a loop trail that can be taken in either direction (clockwise recommended) and climbs the mesa via gaps in the cliffs. Extensive collections of petroglyphs are on the walls of the mesa, and are perhaps easiest to see if you take the trail clockwise, in which case most of them will be on the homeward-bound leg of the hike. The trail becomes somewhat obscure on the mesa top, but all roads eventually lead to an unexcavated pueblo and then to the edge of the mesa, where primitive ladders drop you down to an intermediate plateau for the hike out.

Trail Resources

The archaeological features here are related to the more extensive ones at the main Bandelier sites in Frijoles Canyon, and appear much as those sites did before their excavation around 1900 and later. (Removal of artifacts is strictly prohibited, of course.) There are terrific views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east and the Jemez Mountains to the west.

Helpful Hints

This is a good winter hike if there hasn't been snow recently, but is best in fall and spring. Most hikers will find it uncomfortably hot during the summer, except early in the morning. Take water. Photography is generally best early or late, as the mid-day sun tends to wash out some of the relief on the petroglyphs, etc.

Note that payment of the $5/vehicle entrance fee for Bandelier is required for use of this outlying area. Fines for failure to pay are enforced with surprising vigor. Pay at the small picnic area at the trailhead; Park Pass applies.

Activities Allowed

Day hiking only; no overnight stays, pack animals (none are needed for such a short hike) or mountain bikes.

External Links