Bandelier Juniper Campground Los Alamos NM

Bandelier Juniper Campground Los Alamos NM

About This Location

Bandelier Juniper Campground Los Alamos NM: Bandelier NM – Juniper CG is open Mar-Oct. For visitors to Bandelier National Monument, Juniper Group Campground is an ideal place to stay. Located just inside the main park entrance, the campground is a short drive from the main visitor center, the Frijoles Canyon Shuttle System and the adjacent town of Los Alamos.

The canyon and most of the parks trails are only accessible by shuttle bus for part of the year; however, Juniper Group Campground is open to private vehicles year-round. The park is home to over 55 species of mammals, including mule deer, Aberts squirrels, mountain lions and 16 species of bats. Black bears have also been seen in the park.

Hikers can access two trails directly from Juniper Campground. The Frey Trail descends to the visitor center and Main Loop Trail across an open mesa top with expansive views of the park and surrounding areas. The Tyuonyi Overlook Trail leaves the amphitheater parking area for a 3/4-mile hike to a point overlooking the Tyuonyi Pueblo down in Frijoles Canyon.

Most guests begin their exploration of Bandelier with a walk on the Main Loop Trail. This short 1.2 mile loop trail starts from the visitor center and leads through excavated archeological sites on the floor of Frijoles Canyon. A portion of this trail is accessible.

The visitor center and over 70 miles of trails can be accessed by shuttle bus or car on the off-season, about 3 miles from the campground. Other trails in this area include the 3 mile round-trip Falls Trail to beautiful Upper Falls, and various trails of different lengths and difficulty leading up to the mesa tops.

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