Best RV Parks & Resorts near Los Alamos, NM

My wife and I just spend two days at this RV resort. Its attached to the Ojo Caliente Spa Resort. The spaces only had eletric and water. The eletric and water outlets where placed in an odd location for the site and a dumb station is available for extra $20. One thing we both noticed about the RV park was how quite it was at night. No campfires in the RV park but the spa area had a big fire pit lit every night and where there so many of the RV community hung out there. It gave us a chance to meet our neighbors and talk traveling. We spent one whole day at the spa and was given a discount on its entrance price while staying at the RV park. There is also a great restaurant on site. We where traveling in a 34 foot 5th wheel. Cell service is spotty.

This county facility is basically a parking lot with spaces sized for RVs- excellent for what it is. The electrical(20-30-50amp) pedestals are on a common island between every 2 sites so(except for end sites) so you are side door-to-side door with your neighbor. The sites being angled at 45 rather than 90 degrees means this is somewhat mitigated. Very clean, fine for what it is: a place to park your RV while visiting Los Alamos area. Electric worked fine. The Visitor Center is re-opened, so bathrooms are available while it is open(8am-5pm). Everything is relatively new and generally in good condition. Good potable water supply and dump station with non-potable water(this seems to be free and available to the public). There is a Smiths supermarket, restaurants, etc across the street. 

There are a few downsides, the first of which can be very significant: 

1. Sites are not specifically assigned. If a space is vacant, it is available to be taken. There is a vending kiosk near the nice dog park area, from which you buy a ticket good for that day if there is an open space; it is not for a specific site. This is all fine if you have two vehicles and will be leaving one to“hold your place” while you are out exploring the area. BUT, for people with only one vehicle(e.g., class B or C or even A without a toad), you are abandoning your place when you leave to drive anywhere, and it is open to anyone taking it while you are gone. If you return and there is any open space, you can take it, but the RV park is generally full almost every night, and if you return and all spaces are taken, your$20“ticket” is useless- you are out of luck. I guess you could try parking in the adjacent large regular parking area, but that is not sanctioned. I spoke with the County about this, suggesting they consider a way to deal with this. 

2. Sites are all sloping downhill toward the Fire Station, you will very likely need to use blocks if you don’t have a mechanical leveling system. The slope is greater toward the Fire Station. 

3. Several of the sites are blocked off for the Los Alamos National Lab Exhibit Trailers, reducing the actual number of RV spaces available. 

4. Commute hours traffic is horrendous on the road(Road 4) into and out of the park, so plan accordingly. Traffic noise didn't bother us.

Campground is nestled in a bug group of dense pines and only a 15-20 minute drive from Los Alamos. Quite a few hiking trails in the areas to explore the high desert mesas and escape the heat of Albuquerque.

We stayed here two nights in July, 2020. We're from Albuquerque, so this was just a quick"local" getaway. This is a pretty sprawling campground, with all kinds of sites(tent only, large sites with only 30 amp service, some sites with full hook up, others with just water& electric and a few water only. Shop carefully! We got a full hook up 50amp site. There is a row of these in the southwest end of the park. These are VERY narrow sites. We snugged right up against the hookups, and still didn't have room on the other side to put out our rug. There are low bushes between the sites, so the awning worked, but very little room for chairs and such. Also, the water pressure was quite low. Weakest shower I've had in our rig. Not sure if this changes with the number of campers, though, since it is well water. Our area was VERY busy and full of some big rigs(most from Texas). Oh, and wifi is spotty. Our site literally had a repeater stuck in the ground right next to our rig, and we got a strong signal, but pretty weak internet. I had better luck just using my Verizon iphone's hot spot. But it was still nice. It's got a rustic feel, but didn't necessarily feel run down. BRIEF interactions with the staff were friendly enough.

We also enjoyed the on-site hiking trail. It is only.5 miles, but making the circle a couple of times was nice on our last morning. I can certainly see us staying here again. It IS pricey(our two nights, with Good Sam Discount plus tax, came to $102), but that's Santa Fe for you!

This RV Park is the most haphazardly laid out place I've seen. Imagine if you had a really large lot. Near the front, you own a small beauty parlor. On your land are a couple of old mobile homes. You decide to add some RV hookups(probably 20 years ago) and you just kinda scatter them about in what is only a semblance of order. That gives you an idea. I had called a few weeks before and"reserved" a 50 amp site(there are only 2). She took my name. That was it. No confirmation#, nothing. I had a bad feeling from the start. We arrive just before 7(that's when we said we'd arrive) and both 50 amp spots were taken. She had forgotten we were coming. She offered us a 30 amp site, which for one night, was more than fine. We backed in(sites are uneven, we had to add blocks to keep our motorhome from being held in the air by the jacks) and started set up. I got my money's worth from my EMS that day! We got a reverse polarity error!!! Fortunately, the site near us(unused) was close enough I could run my power cable that way, and it checked out okay. After that, all was well.

It's a very good location, on the north end of Cuba(tiny town). We grabbed take out dinner from the historic El Bruno restaurant, which was phenomenal. The next morning, we struck camp and drove away. It all worked out okay, but don't expect your reservations to be honored. Theresa is super friendly, but clearly relies only on her memory to help her with reservations. Be prepared with a Plan B, I guess, in case you show up and she's rented everything. But at$20, it's a reasonable stay.

This isn't an RV resort, but it is a great overnight stop on the way up to Colorado Springs. For $10, you can stay the night with electric hook ups and another $10 to dump and flush tanks. Far better than a rest area. The Casino is a fun distraction. The lot is all gravel and NO grass for pets, so watch for cactus. We have stayed many times and it's a good place to relax before the drive to COS/DEN. Nothing fancy, but reliable and good fuel prices too!

Rio Chama RV park in Chama, New Mexico, is at the intersection of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad and the upper Rio Chama. A nice place to stay May 1 thru mid October. The train passing by twice a day is an exciting event and it's a short walk to the train yard.

Pull through sites have great shade and full hookups with 30 or 50 amp electrical service. Spacious tent sites with full service restrooms nearby. Pet friendly with dog park and free wifi. A great place for fishing, train watching and relaxing.

Los Suenos rv Park is located in the hustle and bustle of Santa Fe. If you're not sure you will drive right by and not even see it. If you do manage to find it nice little park with full hookups laundry and shower facilities but that's it. All cell carriers seem to work just fine here.

Next to a landfill, which is loud near the trailhead. Pit toilets are disgusting. Would rather dig a hole for that… long term campers mainly at the trailhead - RV, tent, and van. Plus loads of trash and abandoned RV’s.

However, I stayed here the 14 day limit and found some great spots that are secluded from the residents and flies. Other than the serenading coyotes, it’s very peaceful at night. Great views of the surrounding mountains and awesome sunsets. Conveniently located to Santa Fe. I don’t think I’ll stop here again unless it’s overnight.

This is another great spot in the New Mexican high country, especially if you’re a fan of hot springs AND vintage campers. In addition to full-hook up camping/ RV spots, the resort offers vintage campers for rent. It is a great and quiet place to rest, recuperate,

and just enjoy yourself. 

We stayed in the camping loop, and even with electricity and wifi available, had plenty of sunshine for solar power as well as good access for our Starlink. Cell service was pretty skimpy though. 

The bathhouse at the camping area was well heated with wonderfully hot showers, flush toilets, and plenty of space. Water and a dump station was available in the camping area for an extra fee.

Access to the hot springs spa was NOT included in the price for camping, and not inexpensive, but the variety of pools and the beauty of the place was worth it. They offer steam rooms, a multitude of pools of varying temperature and mineral content, in addition to a mud bath, lap swimming pool and full locker/ changing room.  They also offer full spa services, massages, etc.  It was very busy on the weekend with day-use customers, but going early or mid week was a far less crowded time. 

The onsite restaurant/pub is a class act and delicious.  Nearby there are a few hiking trails right from the property, and with the national forest nearby there’s lots of outdoor adventures available. 

The nearest grocery/ convenience store is just down the road, but the selection is pretty limited. The closest town with full services is in Espanola about 30 minutes away.

This is one of the nicest Army Corp of Engineer campgrounds I’ve stayed in. Sites are spacious, all with a view, and with options from horse camping to full hook up. While it’s “lakefront” getting down to the water is a 20 minute hike.

Bonus Tip/ visit Ghost Ranch to learn about the vibrant history of the area.

The sites are reasonably level. Easy hook-ups. Verizon 5G service was okay but was enough for me to work remotely. Check in is super easy. The park is clean but a little overgrown in spots. If you're looking for a perfectly manicured RV park, this is not your stop. If you're good with a spot that has super friendly staff and is a little quirky, you'll enjoy your stay.

Juniper CG @ Bandelier NM: May 2024

Juniper CG @ Bandelier NM: May 2024 Visited El Chamayo, Los Alamos, and the beautiful Valles Caldera National Preserve

(71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

Overall Rating: 3.5 Price 2024: $ 10 w interagency pass Security: No Usage during visit: Heavy Site Privacy: Some sites are good in this respect Site Spacing: Okay, better for some sites Pad surface: Bkacktop Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Quiet Outside Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes.
Potable Water Available: Yes Generators: Allowed Bathroom: Yes. Showers: No Pull Throughs: Some pull overs Cell Service (AT&T): Not good Solar: Abert’s loop will have better solar, though our site and many others in Coyote Loop was adequate during our stay.
Insects: Not this time of year. Host: Yes Sites: Sites that looked good in Abert’s Squirrel Loop(drive through): 1,4,5,6,7,8, 15,16. Coyote Loop among best: 40,41,43,46

Located right off a main thoroughfare, close to a lot of fun Santa Fe stuff (including Meow Wolf). Nothing too special, showers were ok (wish they had curtains). Lots of long- or full-timers. Quiet for an rv park in the middle of town. New Mexican restaurant across the street, El Comal, is delicious. Decently priced. Wi-Fi only sorta works.