# Jemez Mountain Trail: Bandelier, Valles Caldera and Jemez Springs

> 2-day road trip of about 205 km (127 mi) with 8 stops, from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. About 2 h 16 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b18-jemez-mountain-trail/

**At a glance:** 2-day road trip of about 205 km (127 mi) with 8 stops, from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. About 2 h 16 min of driving in total. From Santa Fe past Los Alamos to the cave rooms of Bandelier, across a volcanic caldera and down a red canyon of hot springs to Albuquerque.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 205 km (127 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 16 min |
| Suggested days | 2 |
| Stops | 8 |
| Route | Santa Fe → Albuquerque |
| States | NM |
| Updated | May 18, 2026 |

## Route description

Leave Santa Fe north on US-84/285 and turn west at Pojoaque on NM-502, which climbs onto the Pajarito Plateau to Los Alamos. The town grew around the secret wartime laboratory; the free Bradbury Science Museum tells its story, and the Manhattan Project National Historical Park has a small visitor center downtown. From there NM-502 and NM-4 lead to White Rock and on to Bandelier National Monument.

Parking in Frijoles Canyon is limited and large RVs are best left at the White Rock visitor center; when the canyon lots fill on busy days, a free shuttle runs from an overflow lot near the entrance. In Frijoles Canyon, the Main Loop Trail passes cave rooms carved into soft tuff and climbs ladders to Alcove House. Juniper Campground sits in the pines near the park entrance.

NM-4 then climbs west through ponderosa forest to Valles Caldera National Preserve, a vast grassy crater where elk graze at dawn and dusk. A gravel road leads 3 km from the highway to the visitor center at the old ranch buildings. The highway reaches about 2,700 m, and snow can close it briefly in winter. It then drops through the red cliffs of San Diego Canyon, past Jemez Falls and the travertine arch of Soda Dam.

Just below Soda Dam, Jemez Historic Site preserves the ruins of a 1620s mission church. Jemez Springs is a small village with a public bathhouse and hot springs. NM-4 continues south past the red mesas of Jemez Pueblo, where you can visit the Walatowa visitor center. At San Ysidro, US-550 leads southeast to Bernalillo and I-25, about 90 km from Jemez Springs to Albuquerque.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Santa Fe** (NM)
2. **Los Alamos** (NM)
3. **Bandelier National Monument** (Los Alamos, NM): Ancestral Pueblo cave rooms and ladders carved into soft volcanic tuff in Frijoles Canyon. Parking in the canyon is limited; on busy days a free shuttle runs from an overflow lot near the entrance.
4. **Valles Caldera National Preserve** (Jemez Springs, NM): A 20 km wide volcanic caldera filled with grassland meadows and elk herds. NM-4 skirts Valle Grande; a gravel road leads to the visitor center at the historic cabins.
5. **Soda Dam** (Jemez Springs, NM): A natural mineral dam of travertine that has built up across the Jemez River beside NM-4. The river flows through a hole in it; roadside pullouts.
6. **Jemez Historic Site** (Jemez Springs, NM): The ruins of the 17th-century San José de los Jemez mission church and the pueblo of Giusewa. A short trail passes through both; closed on some weekdays.
7. **Jemez Springs** (NM)
8. **Albuquerque** (NM)

## FAQs

**How long is Jemez Mountain Trail: Bandelier, Valles Caldera and Jemez Springs?**
2-day road trip of about 205 km (127 mi) with 8 stops, from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. About 2 h 16 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Jemez Mountain Trail: Bandelier, Valles Caldera and Jemez Springs?**
We suggest 2 days: about 2 h 16 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Jemez Mountain Trail: Bandelier, Valles Caldera and Jemez Springs start and end?**
It starts in Santa Fe and ends in Albuquerque.

**Which states does Jemez Mountain Trail: Bandelier, Valles Caldera and Jemez Springs pass through?**
New Mexico.