Walk in the footsteps of the ancients

Just north of Santa Fe is a relatively unknown and detached unit of Bandelier National Monument known as Tsankawi. Although this area is easy to overlook, park visitors shouldn’t pass up a chance to visit this gem. The primary attraction at Tsankawi is the short loop trail which provides access to numerous unexcavated ruins, cave dwellings carved into the soft volcanic tuff, as well as several petroglyphs from the Ancestral Tewa Pueblo that lived here until the 16th century. The trail offers hikers the opportunity to literally walk in the footsteps of the ancients. Generations of use have carved trails into the soft volcanic tuft:

For more information on this unique hike, please click here to visit our new Discover the West website.



Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies