Bandelier invites visitors to take a walk on the Main Loop Trail and celebrate OptOutside Friday, Nov. 24. Courtesy/NPS

Many locations throughout the area will be closed for Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 23, but Bandelier National Monument will be open, with Visitor Center hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Every year many visitors, some with their Thanksgiving guests, come to enjoy the park in the morning while the turkey is cooking, or in the afternoon to walk off some of their holiday feast.

 

Then Friday, Nov. 24, the park will join in the growing nationwide observance of OptOutside. Parks and other organizations all over the country, including the New Mexico State Parks, are offering an alternative to the retail frenzy of Black Friday by providing special activities and benefits to encourage people to spend the day outdoors.

 

At Bandelier, the rangers will have a  special symbol for visitors to find out along the Main Loop Trail in Frijoles Canyon. Visitors who find it can then sign up for a free drawing, with prizes including books about the park and even an $80 America The Beautiful Annual Pass to all the federal recreation lands. In addition, visitors will be encouraged to post photos of that day’s outdoor experiences in the comments section of an OptOutside post on the Bandelier Facebook page.

“When you consider whether you’d rather spend the day in crowded stores, or out in the autumn sunshine at Bandelier or another favorite outdoor place … we hope you’ll decide to OptOutside,” Bandelier Superintendent Jason Lott said.