Juniper Campground (NM)
5Heads up3 park alerts · 2 fires, nearest 20 mi
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 16:19 UTC
- A night
- $20From, per site
- Sites
- 5650 of them walk-up
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 14 notices
In the agency’s own words
Juniper Family Campground is the ideal place to camp on the Pajarito Plateau. Located just inside the main park entrance, the campground is a short drive from the Bandelier Visitor Center, the Frijoles Canyon Shuttle bus system (mid-May to mid-October), and the adjacent towns of Los Alamos and White Rock. Juniper Family Campground is the perfect "home base" to explore the Pajarito Plateau, Jemez Mountains, and all of north central New Mexico! The campground is divided into 3 loops: Abert's Squirrel Loop (Loop A) campsites are available year-round as first-come, first serve only. Keep reading
Pay for first-come, first-serve campsites at the self-pay kiosk located at the Juniper Family Campground or in-person at the Bandelier Visitor Center during business hours. Black Bear Loop (Loop B) campsites are open year-round and are reservable up to 6 months in advance. Some sites may open on shorter booking windows (7 or 14 days in advance or the day of arrival). Coyote Loop (Loop C) campsites are open seasonally, March 1 – October 31, and are reservable up to 6 months in advance. Some sites may open on shorter booking windows (7 or 14 days in advance). You may also book campsite reservations in Loops B & C on the day of arrival (subject to availability). HOWEVER, cell service/data is not always reliable in the park and no public WiFi is available. The park highly recommends booking your reservation from the neighboring towns of Los Alamos and White Rock before heading to Bandelier. Group campsites (in Loop A) are available by reservation only up to 12 months in advance until the day before arrival (subject to availability). Same day reservations are not available for group campsites.
Recreation
Bandelier is home to over 70 miles (113 km) of hiking trails most of which are located within federally designated wilderness. Two trails are accessible directly from Juniper Family Campground. The Frey Trail follows the historic route into Frijoles Canyon and descends down the canyon wall to the Visitor Center and the Main Loop Trail. The Tyuonyi Overlook Trail leaves the amphitheater parking area for a 3/4-mile (1.2 km) hike across the open mesa top to an overlook providing breathtaking views of Frijoles Canyon and of Tyounyi, an ancestral Pueblo village. The Bandelier Visitor Center houses museum exhibits, park film, information and ranger programs, Western National Parks Association sales outlet, and more. Entrance to Frijoles Canyon and the Visitor Center is by shuttle bus only (or by hiking) from mid-May to mid-October. These areas are accesibile by private vehicle outside the shuttle bus period. Many other opportunities for recreation and exploring the history and culture of the area are nearby, such as Valles Caldera National Preserve, Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Los Alamos museums, the Jemez District of the Santa Fe National Forest, US Department of Energy public recreation trails, and others around Los Alamos County. Rock climbing is prohibited within Bandelier National Monument, however many popular climbs are within a short drive up Route 4 into the Jemez Mountains.
Facilities
Juniper Family Campground has 3 camping loops. There is an RV dump station on the road into the campground, however water at the dump station is completely turned off from mid-October to mid-April (campers will not be able to fill water tanks or dump). RV dump station has been turned off for season (11/10/25). During the summer months, interpretive programs may be offered during the day at the Visitor Center and in the evening at the campground amphitheater (check with the Visitor Center for program schedule). Each loop offers its own comfort station with restrooms and running water and centrally located water spigots with potable water. No hookups are available at any campsites. Shade is limited in most campsites. During the summer months a camp host is present in the campground. Individual Campsites Each individual campsite has a paved parking pull in or pull through parking spot. Driveways/pull through size vary by site, many can accommodate larger RVs/trailers. Picnic tables, fire rings with grills, and food lockers are provided at each campsite. There are three camping loops with individual campsites: Group Campsites Group campsites Each group campsite is for tent camping only and has ample space for multiple tents. Only one (1) RV or trailer is permitted per site. Each site can accommodate 10 to 20 campers. Group campsites have picnic tables, fire rings with grills and food lockers. Transportation The Frijoles Canyon Shuttle system (mid-May to mid-October) includes a stop at the Amphitheater parking area located in the Juniper Family Campground. You may ride the shuttle free of charge with service into Frijoles Canyon with a stop at the Visitor Center. Private vehicle traffic into Frijoles Canyon is prohibited while the shuttle is in service.
Natural Features
Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres (13355 ha) of rugged, beautiful canyon and mesa country which features evidence of human presence going back over 11,000 years. Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities. Bandelier National Monument sits at the southern end of the Pajarito (Spanish for little bird) Plateau. The plateau was formed by two eruptions 1.6 and 1.4 million years ago. Home to the Bandelier Wilderness, Bandelier ranges from 5340 ft (1628 m) at the Rio Grande River to the south and 10,199 ft (3109 m) at the summit of Cerro Grande to the north, almost a mile of elevation change in just under 12 miles (19 km). This elevation gradient creates a unique diversity of habitats specific to Northern New Mexico. The diversity of habitats and quick access to water supported a relatively large population of Ancestral Pueblo people. Currently, Piñon-Juniper woodlands dominate in the southern parts of the park transitioning through ponderosa pine savannahs and forests, finally reaching mixed conifer forests at the highest elevation. Scattered throughout the park are desert grasslands, montane meadows, and riparian areas in the canyon bottoms. Over 70 miles (113 km) of trails at Bandelier climb in and out of deep canyons and cross large flat mesas, showcasing the entire spectrum of volcanic geology and ecosystems found within the park. The park is home to over 55 species of mammals including mule deer, Abert's squirrels, mountain lions, black bears, and 16 species of bats. Reptiles and amphibians of all shapes and sizes can be seen. Birds such as Steller's jays, canyon towhees and mountain chickadees stay year-round, whereas turkey vultures, western tanagers, and black-headed grosbeaks are summer residents.
Nearby Attractions
The town of Los Alamos has shopping, museums, amenities, a movie theater, ice rink, ski hill, and is home to Manhattan Project National Historic Site. Nearby Department of Energy and US Forest Service lands provide trails which accommodate pets. Valles Caldera National Preserve is 16 miles (26 km) west of Bandelier. Jemez Historic Site is 37 miles (60 km) west. Pecos National Historical Park is 70 miles (113 km) southeast. Santa Fe, 40 miles (64 km) south of the park, is home to the New Mexico state capitol, museums, historic districts, art galleries, food, accomodations, and more. Contact Info This location is unstaffed. To speak with our main office for general information, please call: (505) 672-3861.
What the agency tells you
Changing campsites upon arrival is not permitted. Campers should ensure they have thoroughly reviewed campsite details and photos to make sure site is adequate for their needs and camping equipment will fit in site's designated parking area. Park staff are unable to change reservations day of. If campers relocate to a different campsite, they will be responsible for paying for second site in addition to original reservation.
Reservation dates. Most individual campsites are reservable up to 6 months in advance (some are first-come, first-served only). Group campsites are available by reservation only-- up to 12 months in advance until the day before arrival. Group campsites are NOT available first-come, first served.
Group Campsites. The group campsites are for tent camping only and for groups of 10 to 20 persons per site. You may camp only in the campsite you reserve.
Everything else this campground posts · 11
Entrance Fees. Bandelier National Monument charges an entrance fee separate from camping fees. You may pay the fee upon arrival at the Automated Fee Machine at the Bandelier Entrance Station, at the Bandelier Visitor Center during business hours or purchase in advance. The park also honors Federal interagency passes (e.g., annual, senior, access, 4th grade, Golden Age pass etc.). For more information visit the park's Fees & Passes web page.
The Bandelier NM shuttle has begun for the 2026 season. The shuttle, operated by Atomic City Transit, runs from the Frey Trailhead (across from Black Bear Loop) to the visitor Center in Frijoles Canyon. The shuttle expands parking capacity and offers campers a great opportunity to easily hike the Frey Trail and experience the breathtaking views on a 1.5-mile trail that follows the historic (pre-1930s) route into Frijoles Canyon, then shuttle back to the campground later in the day. Once in Frijoles Canyon, more than 70 miles of additional trails are easily accessible. The shuttle runs on select dates March-October from 10:30am to 4:45pm. Complete schedule can be found here.
Check-in time. Check-in for individual campsites is 1:00 p.m. Check-in time for group campsites is 4:00 p.m. Check-out time. Check-out time for the campground is 11:30 a.m.
Parking. The use of all vehicles (including bicycles and trailers) is restricted to the parking area. All vehicles belonging to campers must be parked in the designated parking spots for the occupied campsite. Any vehicle that does not fit on campsite's paved parking area, must be parked in Juniper Family Campground overflow lots (Amphitheater/Frey Trail/Shuttle Pick-Up parking lots). Vehicles not parked on paved parking area will be cited.
Quiet hours are from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. and will be strictly enforced. Generators may be used only from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. All areas beyond the campground are closed to the public after dusk.
Camping Equipment. Individual campsites allow only one (1) RV per site. Pop-up trailers count as a recreational vehicle. Group campsites are for tent camping only. All camping equipment is restricted to campsite foot print. RVs, trailers, pop-ups, camper vans, etc. must remain on paved parking area. Vehicles off parking area will be cited.
Food Lockers. Bears are known to be active in Bandelier National Monument. Please keep food, garbage and scented items locked up and unavailable to wildlife. Bear lockers are provided in the campground for storage of these items.
Pets. Pets are permitted in the campground, picnic area, and parking lots only and must be leashed at all times. Pets are not allowed on any hiking trails within the park.
Water: Potable water is available year-round at spigots located throughout each Loop of the campground. There are no hookups at any campsites. A seasonal RV dump station is located inside the entrance to the campground (open mid-April thru October). No showers or laundry. The campground and park do not offer showers or laundry facilities.
Prohibited activities. Group sports (volleyball, horseshoes, etc) are prohibited. Possession and/or use of fireworks or metal detectors is prohibited. Use of firearms is strictly prohibited and they may not be carried inside of government buildings. Digging or any other soil disturbance at campsites prohibited.
Firewood and Campfires. Gathering firewood is prohibited. During hot and dry summer months, fire restrictions are common and campfires and charcoal fires may be prohibited. Check the Alerts & Conditions page on the park website or call the Visitor Center for information on current fire restrictions.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 56 · 2 group
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 50 ft
- Paved pads
- All
- Accessible sites
- 2
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- 25 of 56 sites
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets - year round
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- recreation.gov lists “Dump Station”
- Camp host
- On site
- recreation.gov lists “Host”
- Stay limit
- 28 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- River, Meadow
- Amphitheater
- Backpacking
- Birding
- Cross Country Skiing
- Evening Programs
- Guided Interpretive Walks
- Hiking
- Historic site
- Ranger programs
- Snowshoeing
- Stargazing
- Visitor center
- Wilderness access
- Wildlife viewing
- Tree cover
- 25%
- Night sky · 152nd darkest of 164 in NM
- Bortle 4
- Cell signal · Cell signal · Park Service says
- Spotty
- Fall color · reported 5 days ago, 30 km away
- Patchy color
34 of 70 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 16:19 UTC
recreation.gov lists 50 of the 56 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
OpenBooked
These counts cover the 56 reservable sites only. This campground also has first-come sites, and recreation.gov publishes no availability for a site you can’t reserve.
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 24
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $20 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 16:19 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
56 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 50 mapped sitesAll 56 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 56 of the 56 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 50 of the 56 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| Abert's Squirrel | 10 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 49 ft | 2,713 ft | 197 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 11 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 33 ft | 2,678 ft | 148 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 12 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 33 ft | 2,659 ft | 161 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 13 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 67 ft | 2,609 ft | 101 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 14 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 111 ft | 2,479 ft | 113 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 15 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 60 ft | 2,371 ft | 223 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 16 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 35 ft | 2,312 ft | 280 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 17 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | 35 ft | 2,316 ft | 274 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 2 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 114 ft | 2,335 ft | 288 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 3 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 49 ft | 2,436 ft | 246 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 4 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 49 ft | 2,485 ft | 223 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 6 | standard nonelectric | 33 ft | 106 ft | 2,559 ft | 279 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 7 | standard nonelectric | 25 ft | 53 ft | 2,695 ft | 360 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 8 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 53 ft | 2,738 ft | 350 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel | 9 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 82 ft | 2,751 ft | 289 ft | $20 | |
| Abert's Squirrel Loop | 1 (Group Site) | group standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 129 ft | 2,288 ft | 398 ft | $50 | |
| Abert's Squirrel Loop | 5 (Group Site) | group standard nonelectric | 35 ft | 146 ft | 2,519 ft | 421 ft | $50 | |
| Black Bear | 18 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 68 ft | 2,470 ft | 93 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 19 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | 48 ft | 2,538 ft | 85 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 20 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 48 ft | 2,582 ft | 99 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 21 | standard nonelectric | 23 ft | 54 ft | 2,636 ft | 137 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 22 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 34 ft | 2,654 ft | 150 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 23 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 34 ft | 2,680 ft | 176 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 25 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 84 ft | 2,773 ft | 260 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 26 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 84 ft | 2,833 ft | 276 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 27 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 40 ft | 2,874 ft | 291 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 28 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 40 ft | 2,913 ft | 331 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 29 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 39 ft | 2,943 ft | 355 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 30 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 39 ft | 2,952 ft | 362 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 31 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | 58 ft | 2,889 ft | 303 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 32 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 45 ft | 2,834 ft | 246 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 33 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 45 ft | 2,806 ft | 226 ft | $20 | |
| Black Bear | 34 | type not stated | 12 ft | 2,657 ft | 70 ft | |||
| Black Bear | 35 | type not stated | 12 ft | 2,702 ft | 117 ft | |||
| Black Bear | 36 | type not stated | 15 ft | 2,630 ft | 146 ft | |||
| Black Bear | 37 | type not stated | 12 ft | 2,591 ft | 84 ft | |||
| Black Bear | 38 | type not stated | 12 ft | yes | 2,553 ft | 143 ft | ||
| Coyote | 39 | standard nonelectric | 34 ft | 45 ft | 2,675 ftRito de los Frijoles | 277 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 40 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 45 ft | 2,654 ftRito de los Frijoles | 286 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 41 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 53 ft | 2,593 ftRito de los Frijoles | 265 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 42 | standard nonelectric | 26 ft | 53 ft | 2,574 ftRito de los Frijoles | 214 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 43 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 60 ft | 2,494 ftRito de los Frijoles | 187 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 44 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 60 ft | 2,487 ftRito de los Frijoles | 128 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 45 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | yes | 41 ft | 2,455 ftRito de los Frijoles | 70 ft | $20 |
| Coyote | 46 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 41 ft | 2,414 ftRito de los Frijoles | 73 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 47 | standard nonelectric | 18 ft | 44 ft | 2,386 ftRito de los Frijoles | 61 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 48 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 44 ft | 2,387 ftRito de los Frijoles | 78 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 49 | standard nonelectric | 34 ft | 26 ft | 2,435 ftRito de los Frijoles | 85 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 50 | standard nonelectric | 32 ft | 26 ft | 2,458 ftRito de los Frijoles | 98 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 51 | standard nonelectric | 24 ft | 33 ft | 2,522 ftRito de los Frijoles | 110 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 52 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | 33 ft | 2,531 ftRito de los Frijoles | 139 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 53 | type not stated | 38 ft | 2,581 ftRito de los Frijoles | 172 ft | |||
| Coyote | 54 | standard nonelectric | 30 ft | 73 ft | 2,663 ftRito de los Frijoles | 224 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 55 | standard nonelectric | 50 ft | 36 ft | 2,708 ftRito de los Frijoles | 262 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 56 | standard nonelectric | 20 ft | 36 ft | 2,730 ftRito de los Frijoles | 285 ft | $20 | |
| Coyote | 57 | standard nonelectric | 28 ft | 92 ft | 2,789 ftRito de los Frijoles | 346 ft | $20 |
25 of 56 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Ponderosa Group Campground (NM)Bandelier National Monument · 5.0 mi
Tetilla Peak10 mi
Cochiti Campground11 mi
Jemez Falls CampgroundJemez National Recreation Area · 18 mi
Redondo CampgroundJemez National Recreation Area · 20 mi
PalizaSanta Fe National Forest · 21 miFrom Santa Fe (approximately 1 hour travel time):
- Take Highway 84/285 (Saint Francis Drive) north toward Los Alamos.
- Merge right onto NM 502 to Los Alamos.
- Exit onto NM 4 toward White Rock.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for White Rock, NM
Typical weather
Typical October night 38°F, day 63°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical January night 21°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it
What threatens this place
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Juniper Campground (NM) is in New Mexico’s 3rd congressional district. Its representative, Teresa Leger Fernandez (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →
How we know
every fact on this page, and where it came from
“…day of arrival (subject to availability). HOWEVER, cell service/data is not always reliable in the park and no public WiFi is available. The…”