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Bandelier National MonumentPhoto of Duchess' Castle, with north mesa in background
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Bandelier National Monument
Flashflood 2007 Causes Trail Closures
Narrows of Frijoles Canyon
NPS Collection
Trails were heavily damaged in the Narrows section of Frijoles Canyon.

THIS TRAIL REOPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON APRIL 13, 2008. TRAIL CREWS HAVE WORKED HARD OVER THE LAST 7 MONTHS TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO THE TRAIL CAUSED BY TWO FLASHFLOODS. USE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN HIKING IN THIS AREA.

On Wednesday, August 29, 2007 an intense thunderstorm over the watershed of Frijoles Creek created runoff that exceeded the capacity of the stream, creating a flashflood. During the height of the flood, Frijoles Creek reached flow rates of approximately 800 cfs. Flood waters removed bridges along the Falls Trail (currently open to the public) and destroyed some trails while undercutting others in the area between Alcove House and Upper Crossing (currently closed to the public).     

 
Frijoles Canyon Narrows
NPS Collection
Crews continue to repair damage cause by the summer's flashflood.
Since early September several trail crews have worked to repair the damage.  More trail crews will be doing work in the near future.  For visitor saftey, the trail between Upper Crossing and Alcove House will remain closed for the foreseeable future.  The trail may reopen in early spring 2008.
Three-leaf Sumac  

Did You Know?
A drink that tastes a lot like lemonade can be made from the berries of the Three-leaf Sumac. From this, the bush gets its common name, the Lemonade Bush.

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Last Updated: April 29, 2008 at 10:18 EST