National Park Service employees and local volunteers participated in a cleanup in the Bandelier National Monument backcountry Monday. Photo Courtesy NPS
BANDELIER NEWS RELEASE
Volunteers and National Park Service employees helped celebrate National Public Lands Day (NPLD) at Bandelier National Monument by removing equipment from Bandelier’s backcountry during the wilderness cleanup, this past Monday September 26. Combined, the team cleaned up two different project sites and hauled old equipment out by backpack. A group of twelve worked the event: four volunteers, an employee from the US Geological Survey, one National Park Service employee from the Santa Fe Regional Office and six Bandelier staff worked together to complete the task during the one-day event.
Most of Bandelier, over 23,000 acres, was designated as wilderness by Congress in 1976. September is also National Wilderness Month, so it was a great time to focus efforts on cleaning a federal wilderness area. This is exactly what event organizer and Wilderness Ranger Mark Peterson had in mind. Chief Ranger Dennis Milligan added, “I really appreciate the support of our volunteers and staff in this effort. The project would not been possible without their hard work and enthusiasm.” Most of the public visits the front country areas of the monument, including the very popular Frijoles Canyon.
Bandelier has received over 141,106 visitors so far this year. Those who venture out into the backcountry are rewarded with beauty and solitude. Efforts this weekend help preserve wilderness character and keep Bandelier’s Wilderness wild.
Bandelier National Monument is open every day from sunrise to sunset. In Frijoles Canyon, the park visitor center and the park store (operated by Western National Parks Association) is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm and the café, Sirphey at Bandelier, is open from 9am to 4:30pm.
Park entrance fees are $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, or $15 per bicycle/individual. All entrance passes are valid for 7 days. Camping fees are not included in entrance fees. America the Beautiful– the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes are accepted for entrance fees. The full suite of America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes as well as Bandelier Annual passes are available for purchase at the visitor center. For more information about types of passes and prices, visit: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm.