Beautiful location, but odds of finding an available campsite are almost nil. FCFS policy. Have tried several times, never successful. Similar for Stewart Campground nearby, these are the only ones open in winter. Be prepared for alternatives.
Rusty runs a tight ship, and the state of the campground reflects that. All services work properly and facilities are neat and clean. Price is $35 per night and absolutely no refunds are given for any reason (you sign a separate agreement to that effect).
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.