2023 Map of Frijoles

About this map

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park anchors the northern mesas of this landscape, marking the intersection of clandestine mid-century history and the high desert geography of New Mexico. The terrain is defined by a series of dramatic finger mesas, including Pajarito Mesa, Threemile Mesa, and Frijoles Mesa, which are separated by deep drainage systems like Ancho Canyon and Potrillo Canyon. Further south, the map transitions into the protected lands of Bandelier National Monument and the Bandelier Wilderness. Here, the settlement of Frijoles sits near the Rito de los Frijoles, where the water descends toward the Rio Grande via the Upper Frijoles Falls and Lower Frijoles Falls. An extensive network of trails, such as the Frey Trl and Tyuonyi Overlook Trl, provides a detailed record of how this complex topography has been navigated from the era of the ancestral Puebloans through the development of the Los Alamos Laboratory.