A shortage of staff is delaying the mandatory shuttle service for visitors to Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico.
The shuttle was to start running May 17, but the staffing situation is delaying the service until sometime in mid-June, a park release said.
“Atomic City Transit and Los Alamos County have been excellent partners in ensuring that visitors have access to Frijoles Canyon during our peak season,” said Bandelier Superintendent Patrick Suddath. “The shuttle system has been invaluable to our commitment to visitor services. We are sympathetic to the staffing issues facing our partners and we look forward to our continued partnership in the future.”
Visitors driving into the park should expect delays during peak hours. The park will be temporarily closed once the parking lots reach capacity. It is common for these temporary closures to last up to two hours at times. For this reason, the park staff encourages visitors to arrive before 9 a.m. or after 3 p.m. to avoid the park’s busiest times.
If Bandelier is at capacity, visitors are encouraged to visit other attractions in the area. These include Valles Caldera National Preserve, Manhattan Project National Historical Park’s Los Alamos Unit, as well as museums in Los Alamos and the local Pueblo communities.