Bandelier and Valles Caldera
Bandelier National Monument and Valles Caldera National Preserve share a border, but it’s difficult to imagine two more dissimilar places in such close proximity. Part of the difference is elevation. Valles Caldera is uphill from Bandelier, way uphill. Bandelier is a dry canyon with a small creek. Valles Caldera is a collection of alpine valleys and hills with abundant springs and wildlife.
How they were formed also contributes to the differences between Bandelier and Valles Caldera. Bandelier is a pretty typical Southwest canyon, formed by water erosion. Valles Caldera is, as the name implies, a volcanic caldera, the depression left after a volcanic explosion. In this way, it is similar to Yellowstone National Park and California’s Mammoth Lakes area.
Bandelier has a very nice campground on a plateau of sorts above the canyon. In the canyon there is an informative interpretive center and trails to the cliff dwellings. The trail to the Alcove House includes 140 feet of stairs and ladders.
Unfortunately, some people just can’t control their destructive impulses. So, there’s less access to the ruins than previously existed.
Ancient Home Site
The reasons for national protection of the two sites is different too. Bandelier is a cultural site. It was a home to ancestorial pueblo people. Valles Caldera is protected because of it’s beauty, unusual geography, and wildlife. It’s also been critical to the research that helps us understand volcanoes.
The caldera was drier than I expected when I visited in May. A ranger told me that was because they had less snow than usual, and the snow that did come was in November with only a few dustings since.
Plenty of water was there, though. The place has a lot of springs and is the headwaters of the Jemez River. The caldera has miles of valley grasslands dotted with small hills, the result of upward pressure from the magna below. The combination creates an excellent environment for wildlife, including elk, deer, prairie dogs, and coyotes.
Since I was there at midday, I saw only prairie dogs and coyotes, lots of each. I saw three in my short time there. I even saw one take a prairie dog, but I was too slow with the camera. A ranger told me that the caldera is about as good as it gets for coyotes.
God’s Dog
Here’s a reference to the title of the above photo.
Valles Caldera also has a history. It was used for sheep and cattle for decades. Some of the previous ranch buildings are still there. The ranching resulted in environmental damage. The rangers are working to help the caldera recover.
Finally, if you go, go on May 15th or later. On May 15th the bulk of the caldera’s extensive dirt roads open. I was there on the 13th, and despite summer conditions and excellent road conditions, they weren’t opening the roads early. Rules you know.
