Frey trail

In years past, all visitors took this route into Bandelier. Since the road was built, many people are missing the great views that this trail provides.
View into the canyon and the Tyuonyi ruins

Hike data:

Controlling agency: Bandelier National Monument
Location in the state: North-central; Bandelier National Monument
Trailhead waypoint(s): FREY TH
Elevation:
start: 6669ft; 2033m end: 6095ft; 1858m
min: 6095ft; 1858m max: 6669ft; 2033m
Elevation gain/loss: 574 ft; 175 m
Length: 2.09 mi; 3.36 km. This length is the one-way distance to the visitor center.
How long it took us (HH:MM): 01:25.
Cleanliness: 9/10
Trail usage: 0.00 people/hour. We saw nobody else until we reached the main ruins trail.
Trail Condition: Excellent
Fee: $10.00. The fee provides access for seven days.
When we hiked it: 2003-10-26.
Trailhead facilities: Water, trash cans, toilets.
Special features of the hike: History, scenery, exercise.
When to hike: All year. Watch out for ice on the trail in winter and spring. Falling off a steep drop-off would not be fun.
General comments: For safety and to protect the fragile desert ecosystem, the park service requires that you stay on the trail. Additionally, collecting plants, minerals, or artifacts is prohibited.

Maps:

Map showing the location of the trailhead

Getting to the trailhead:

From the main entrance to Bandelier National Monument, follow the signs to the Juniper Campground. Across from loop B is the ampitheater parking. Park here and the trailhead is at the south end of the parking lot.

The hike:

Diana Northup at the Frey trailhead
The hike starts out at the Bandelier Amphitheater parking lot. This large sign about the history of the trail is at the trailhead, so the trailhead is hard to miss.

The trail heads across the mesa top. At this point, it is flat and open.

One of the grasses you are likely to see is Little Bluestem (Andropogon scoparius). When this plant is growing, it is bluish at the base of the stems, hence the common name. When it dries out, this is what you see.

Andropogon scoparius and the trail
The San Miguel Mountains

The views include the San Miguel Mountains, which are the western border of the park. You also get views south, and occasional glimpses of the Sangre de Cristo mountains to the east.

As you look across to the mountains, you can see areas which have burned. Years of fire suppression have led to intense fires. As you hike, consider how the landscape will change over the next several years.

Clearly, the park recognizes the view, as they have provided this bench which has a view of the San Miguel Mountains.

The drought and the bark beetle infestation have turned what was previously an evergreen forest into one that looks like a mixed deciduous/evergreen forest in winter.

A bench along the trail
Crystals in an ant mound
Along this part of the trail, look at the ground. It is covered with small crystals. Ants appear to be collecting the crystals.

You cross a road after about a mile of hiking. A sign indicates that the visitor center is 1.2 miles further. Right after crossing the road, the trail begins to head down into a side canyon of the main Frijoles canyon, and then turn the corner into Frijoles itself. You are waling on tuff, which is welded volcanic ash. Sometimes the trail is decomposed tuff, which is like gravel or sand. Other times, you are walking on blocks of tuff, which are carved into steps. Watch out for the steep dropoffs off the side of the trail at times.

The photo to the left is looking up Frijoles canyon after the turn. The rounded mesa-top in the upper right is the end of the Tyuonyi Overlook hike.

View up Frijoles canyon from the Frey trail
The large kiva and the ruins trail from the Frey trail
As soon as you turn the corner into Frijoles, you also begin to get great views up and down the canyon. You also can look down upon the ruins and the ruins trail, and across to the trails on the other canyon wall, which are part of the Frijolito hike.

As you continue to descend, you begin to hear the sounds of the other park visitors on the ruins trail. When we hiked this trail, we saw nobody else until the ruins trail.

When you reach the junction with the ruins trail (GPS: FREYXRUINS), go right. This takes you to the main ruins trail. If you want to head to the visitor center (GPS: BNDLR VC), when you get to the next junction, go left and you will find yourself there in under half a mile.

Kenneth Ingham with the Tyuonyi ruins in the background on the Frey trail

Plants we saw along the trail:

Reader comments about this hike:

On Thu Jun 30 13:10:40 2005 David from MN, USA said:
Very nice trail. We hiked it in June 2005 from Juniper Campground down into Frijoles Canyon, and back. The first half is relatively flat with some views of the Jemez Mts. When you get to the canyon the trail descends quickly. A little tough on the knees. Views of the canyon and ruins are excellent. The trip back was more strenuous since you are going up, up, up and we were tired after viewing all the caves, etc... Take plenty of water, sun screen, and camera. A park ranger saw us returning and asked if we saw any cougar tracks...yikes! We didnt see any but it was pretty hot and sunny so it may have been sleeping somewhere. Enjoy!

On Sun Jul 9 04:15:32 2006 Anonymous from Somewhere said:
If you have alternate transportation, get a ride to the bottom of the Frey trial and hike up to the campground. That seems easier on most peoples knees, and you can enjoy the views while you take rest stops on the way up. I camped at Juniper Campground, rode my bike down to the bottom of the trail, locked it, and hiked up to the campground where I spent the night. The next day I drove down and retrieved my bike.

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