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.
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.
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Hike data:
| Controlling agency: | Bandelier National Monument | ||||||||
| Location in the state: | North-central; Bandelier National Monument | ||||||||
| Trailhead waypoint(s): | FREY TH | ||||||||
| Elevation: |
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| 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:
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Getting to the trailhead:
The hike:
 | 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.
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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. |  |
 | 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. |  |
 | Along this part of the trail, look at the ground. It is covered with
small crystals. Ants appear to be collecting the crystals.
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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. |  |
 | 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.
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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. |  |
Plants we saw along the trail:
Reader comments about this hike:
On Thu Jun 30 13:10:40 2005 David from MN, USA said:Add your comments about the Frey trail hike.
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