Whether you stay in Bandelier for a few hours or a few days, your next stop will be its neighbor,
Valles Caldera National Preserve. The preserve is a newbie on the block in the national park family, only joining in 2014 after being in a variety of family-owned hands for over 100 years. Formed by a volcano 1.25 million years ago, property is nearly 90,000 acres with a 13-mile wide depression in the center, but is still building out infrastructure like camping. For now, the preserve is popular for daytime use like hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and snowshoeing in the winter. The property is a preserve because they also allow for limited hunting permits and fishing.