During the pandemic, many Americans opted to purchase a camper, trailer, or RV of some kind. Many of us liked the idea of having “our own space” while we travelled. When hotels and other travel options were entirely shut down due to quarantine, having an RV of any kind became a way to escape to nature for some down time away from those four walls you might’ve been sharing with your family for far too long.

Los Alamos has a fairly long history with trailers, trailer homes, campers, RVs, and plenty of other stopgap housing measures. You can read more about that HERE. But even if you’re not in need of a permanent place to park your RV so you can live in it, Los Alamos has more options for local camping than you might realize.

Los Alamos Main Gate Park

Located at the top of the Main Hill Road, Main Gate Park provides ten camping spaces to the public. The views are actually spectacular even if the “campground” looks rather Spartan at first glance. There are bathrooms (located behind the Main Gate facade), picnic tables, water spigots, a small pet yard, and even an RV dump station. That last one is probably important information for anyone who owns an RV no matter where they camp. In years past there was no fee to use the RV dump station, but it would be best to call the Parks Department at the Aquatic Center or email the staff to double check. This campground is open year round and it’s only $10/night. Visitors are allowed 14 nights in a 30 day period and permits and payments can be made at the front desk of the Aquatic Center.

White Rock Visitor Center

Now, if you have a bigger RV you’d like to use in Los Alamos County, you’ll need to camp down at the White Rock Visitor’s Center. The park is situated between the Visitor’s Center and the Fire Station on State Road 4. The lot includes sixteen 15×50 foot spaces, each with electric hookup. There is an RV sewer dump on site. The interesting thing about White Rock is that you don’t make any reservations and there is a small credit card pay machine. This is amazingly convenient if you have relatives coming into town who have no good idea when they might or might not arrive. They can simply pay their $20/night at the machine when they arrive. The only negative about the machine is that it only allows you to pay for one night at a time. The same rule applies to the number of days you can camp in the park. 14 days out of each 30 is the maximum number of nights to camp. Bathrooms are also available in the small latrine trailer parked in the lot if needed.

Bandelier National Monument

We don’t typically think of Bandelier being part of Los Alamos, but it can be if you’ve got relatives looking to find a place to stay or if you’re looking for a camping vacation close to home. There are three camping options within this park and one of them could mean just about anything.

The Juniper Campground is for families or groups of less than ten campers. There aren’t any electric hookups or showers, but they do offer public restrooms with running water. Some of the spaces are large enough for a 40 ft RV and there are picnic tables and outdoors grills at each space. During the summer the campground will have a host on site to help out with information you might need about the area and amenities. No reservations are necessary and campers are given spaces on a first come, first served basis.

The Ponderosa Group Campground can accommodate camping groups of 10-50 people. This is a bit of a different environment. The Ponderosa Campground is accessed about six miles down State Road 4 from the main park entrance. Reservations are required as this is a fairly high demand campground for big groups. There are only two campsites at Ponderosa and each offers bathrooms with pit toilets though there are no showers or electric available. Water can be obtained from spigots as long as there is not snow! The Ponderosa is located at 7600 ft in altitude and sits at a spot that often gets more frequent snowfall than other parts of Los Alamos. That means the campground usually isn’t snow free with running water until mid to late April!

The other camping option in Bandelier is to backpack in and find a spot you’d like to camp on the trail. There are a host of things to consider if you’d like to try this option sometime. Water isn’t something you’re likely to find on the trails in the back country, so you’d need to pack in and out whatever water you need. Permits for backpacking in Bandelier can be obtained at the main visitor’s center. Check the National Parks Service website for more information and for the latest updates about wildlife in the park. Recently they’ve been spotting bears in and around the campsites and as we all know, there is plenty of wildlife to see here in Los Alamos. Both of the predator and prey varieties, so caution is always recommended!

If you’re looking for a quick vacation or getaway, you might consider one of these camping options. It’s a great way to get away without a lot of traveling. And it could be a fantastic way to host friends in town if your living space isn’t quite ready for a large gathering. And if you’re ready to buy or sell that house in Los Alamos, give me a call! I’d love to chat real estate with you!