Bandelier is most easily reached by automobile, there being no nearby bus or train stations. The nearest airport with significant commercial service is in Albuquerque, about 90 miles 150 km away by road. Santa Fe is closer but has only very limited commercial air service. Los Alamos has no commercial air service but does have an airport suitable for private planes. Note that its high elevation, single east-west runway, and rugged terrain make this airport quite a challenge to fly into/out of. Rental cars may be obtained in any of these three cities. Bicycling to the monument is feasible for the fit cyclist, but the roads have a great deal of up-and-down and will challenge the cyclist recently up from sea level the monument entrance is at an elevation near 6500 feet, or 2000 meters; puncture-resistant tires are also important as tire-penetrating thorns are common on the road.
To reach Bandelier from Santa Fe, follow US Highway 285 north to the small town of Pojoaque. Exit 285 on State Highway 502 heading west, following signs for Los Alamos until a fork in the road is encountered that directs travelers to Los Alamos via 502 or Bandelier/White Rock via State Highway 4. Follow the route on 4 bear right at the fork. This highway leads directly to Bandelier, passing en route the small town of White Rock, an outlying part of Los Alamos. The photographically-inclined traveler may wish to take the left fork instead for a short distance, as the road climbs the side of a colorful mesa en route to Los Alamos, passing the stunning Clinton P. Anderson Scenic Overlook with superb views of the canyon-and-mesa country with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the background. Photography from this viewpoint is particularly rewarding at sunrise and sunset. Retracing the route leads back to the fork, and a right-hand turn sic! then connects with 4 and Bandelier.
