Bandelier National Monument

If you're interested in seeing cliff dwellings, head to Bandelier National Monument. Signs of human presence date back at least 10,000 years. The Tyuonyi Pueblo and cliff dwellings, ancestors to the current-day Cochiti Pueblo, were inhabited between about 1,400 and 1,500 AD. Other Pueblo peoples with ancestral ties to the monument's over 33,000 acres are San Felipe, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo and Zuni. Walk the Main Loop Trail past the remains of Tyuonyi and along the cliff dwellings. Ladders lead to caves and you can even crawl inside some. Kids and adults love it. Feel adventurous? Climb the three long wooden ladders to the Alcove House 140 feet above Frijoles Canyon. The park is open from dawn to dusk every day except Christmas and New Year's. Hours vary seasonally. In summer and fall, mandatory shuttles run from the White Rock Visitors Center from 9a.m. to 3p.m.