White Rock Visitor Center RV Park

Loved staying here as it was close to level, spacious, and easy to access. There is fresh water and a dump station located here also along with a smallish fenced dog area. There are porta-potties right next to the dog area which also houses the self service payment machine and everything is pretty well accessible. The White Rock Visitor Center is steps away and they have all the guides needed for Bandolier, Valley Caldera, and Manhattan Project as well as visitor information for Los Alamos events as well.

We walked across the street a short distance to Smith's for some groceries and dog food, otherwise it is just a short 10 minute drive into Los Alamos if you need Starbucks or Sonic or other mainstream stuff. It was quiet for us in mid-July and I enjoyed this place very much! Since Valles Caldera and Bandelier park units both are NOT dog friendly, we plugged in the RV and blasted the AC so our pup could stay comfy while we explored the parks without her.

The spots are diagonally placed with power islands placed in alternate lane separators and my 31' TT along with my 20' truck fit with a few feet to spare. Also convenient is the Bandelier shuttle stop that is directly in front of the RV park which is now mandatory for those park visitors between 9am and 3pm or unless you have a Disabled Placard to show at the park entrance.

Don't bring your trailer to Valles Caldera as the road is windy and steep, park it here for a few hours instead. Good T-Mobile signal also so I would stay here again in a heartbeat! No reservations taken but when I called a month prior to our stay, the Visitor Center staffer said he has never had to turn anyone away from the RV park.

I gave The White Rock Visitor Center a five star rating although it’s just a parking space with power hookup. It is centrally located to Bandelier, Los Alamos, and Santa Fe. It’s clean, quite at night, has a dump station, a place to dispose of trash and a small clean dog area. (unfortunately there are inconsiderate dog owners who don’t clean up after their pets). Visitor center staff very friendly and helpful. I was here off season so just one other camper parked in the lot.

This 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.

Arrival - Self check-in kiosk that is very easy.

Tips - Arrive early for a spot, there's only about 20 and a few of them are out of order.

Favorite things - Easy to get to, easy to get into, nice location in White Rock close to shopping, and close to a splash park for the kiddos. Super close to Los Alamos and Bandolier NP. Great burrito place right across the street called El Rigobertos Tacos https://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Rigobertoss/193331700802221; the carne asada and carnitas burritos are worth the trip.

Negatives - Sites are not anything approaching level on the end towards the fire department. Very wide open and hot on the asphalt. A little noisy in the morning and evening as the Los Alamos folks head to work and go home.

This is a great overnight or couple of days spot; our second time here. 50 amp electric only but potable water and dump station on site.

A real gem! At this review we’ve stayed 2 nights and are most likely to extend. Clean and quiet, and only minor leveling for our class B+. Electric h/up, with potable water and dump available. Small dog park. Location is 30 minutes from Santa Fe and 20 from Bandolier NM. We very much enjoyed hiking BNM and taking in it’s history.
Note:with New Mexico still on COVID high alert there are just 8 available sites out of 16. During our stay (over a weekend) there were 3 others when we arrived for extended stays, and 1 for an overnight. Pay daily with credit card at the kiosk. Visitor center remains closed which contributed to the quiet.

We were here during covid quarantine, so the visitor center was closed. Also, Bandelier and all the museums were closed. The dump station is clean and convenient. No water or sewer hookup, just electric. The RV parking lot slopes, so park with your stairs uphill. Smith's grocery right across the street. Good hiking in White Rock from the overlook park. Decent mountain biking but watch out for the trails that drop off a butte, as they will kick your butt when you have to climb back up. The Jemez mountains and Valle Caldera are about 30 minutes away up Hwy 4. There's free camping at American Springs once you top out on 4, but the free camping 2 miles down 289 is nicer. The lot only allowed 3 RVs at the time we were here. Don't break the rule; the manager has enough on his plate.

Pros: RV spots with 50-amp and 30-amp power are available daily for a very affordable fee of $20, and they are plenty long to accommodate big rigs. Sites at the Juniper CG in Bandelier are generally not suitable for large rigs. The shuttle bus to Bandelier stops right in front the RV parking area on a frequent schedule (every 30 minutes during the week and every 20 minutes on weekends). There is a dump station and potable water available in the RV park, and there is a Smith's grocery store across the street. Campers are welcome to use restrooms in the visitor center when it is open.

Cons: This is, quite literally, a parking lot. But given the absence of alternatives, especially for larger rigs, it's a great and affordable option.

AT&T: Off network, so check your plan for data roaming charges. We had 4 bars LTE roaming during our stay.

As a boondocker who usually dislikes campgrounds, I am surprised to find that I've quite enjoyed my week here, even though it's really nothing more than a parking lot with electrical hookups.

The lot was full by 5pm on about the half the nights I was here, and there were as many as 3 or 4 empty spots on other nights. If you're here by 3pm, you should have no trouble getting a site.

Although it's by the highway, it was very quiet at night. It's only a few minutes from Los Alamos, about 35 miles from Santa Fe, and the Bandelier shuttle bus stops right out front.

You have to pay the $20 fee by credit card at a machine every day. You cannot buy multiple days. Don't forget to put the receipt in your window. They check every morning, and they ticketed a tow vehicle parked in an adjacent lane to its trailer. If your rig is too long to park your tow vehicle or toad in your lane, you have to park it behind the visitor center.

I had 4 bars of Verizon 4G, -88 dB signal strength, and a speed of 31 Mbps down and 11 up.

There is fresh water, a free dump station and a trash dumpster. It's next to reservation land, and gas at the Tewa gas station was 20 cents cheaper than in Los Alamos. It's even cheaper at the reservation on the road to Santa Fe.

It was spotlessly clean, and I saw Los Alamos facilities trucks driving around the lot at various times.

My only gripe was that the county parks buses in the lot, among the RVs, when the drivers finish their shift. I complained by email to the county manager about this, and he replied that he agreed, and will arrange for them to stage elsewhere.