23 wonders of the West
Top 9 National Monuments
Build a great vacation around a spectacular island, forest, cliff dwelling, canyon, fossil bed, tower, or volcano
10 top national monuments in the West
Bandelier National Monument, NM
Bandelier has been entrancing people for nearly 1000 years—from when the Ancestral Pueblo people first began building homes in the
cliffs of Frijoles Canyon.
They’re easily seen on the monument’s Main Loop Trail; more ruins can be glimpsed in Tsankawi Canyon to the north.
But archeology isn’t the only reason to come here—the monument is stunningly beautiful, with dramatic mesas and broad views
across Northern New Mexico. All this only a 45-minute drive from Santa Fe. More
