Tsankawi, located in a detached area of Bandelier National Monument, houses the ruins of a village located atop a mesa. Getting up to the village requires climbing up two ladders and walking upwards along a somewhat steep slope.

The village itself has not been excavated. Visually, it appears to be many rocks strewn across the landscape. There are also many pottery fragments lying on the ground. One small area devoid of vegetation has a huge number of fragments! In addition to the village atop the mesa, there are also smaller cliff side houses. In addition to the structures, there are also petroglyphs visible along smooth cliff walls.

After passing through the village, the trail descends the side of the mesa edge via an extremely thin notch carved into the rock and a ladder. Its a rather tight fit. The trail then continues along the cliff edge, slightly below the mesa top. Much of the path is carved into the rock. There are points where one can see how the Ancestral Pueblo climbed up - via perilous "steps" carved into the rock. Its really hard to describe this portion of the trail. Photos don't do it justice either.