Bandelier National Monument is known for the Native American cliff dwellings built in the porous volcanic rock. Like Yellowstone and the northwest corner of Wyoming, north central New Mexico sits on the caldera of a supervolcano. Much of the rock near Bandelier is soft and easy to carve out into homes, which the Native Americans did. Bandelier is a big park, but the main loop is only about a mile and offers a great glimpse of both the dwellings and the natural environment.
Entry into Bandelier is $12, and you’ll find it is likely the busiest national monument/park in the area, even in November. However, it’s nothing compared to Glacier or Yellowstone in the summer, so don’t let it scare you away.
I traveled the majority of the main loop with a friendly Canadian couple, then took the back end of the main loop’s nature trail by myself. It was on the back end that I encountered these deer. I was no more than 30 feet from them at one point, and I’m sure they’re used to people. Still, it was a genuinely beautiful moment for me.
Photos from Bandelier National Monument outside of Los Alamos, New Mexico in November 2008