Volunteer Park Travel Campsite

A first!!!!!!!!!!!! MWR REDUCED the fee for staying here to $10 a night! It had been $10 however it went up to $15 for about a yr or so, but they've lowered it back to $10! WSMR as well as Ft. Bliss have dropped the DOD decal requirement, too. Since I don't get to many USN or MC bases I don't know if they still require the DOD sticker.........I'd be interested on feed back as to the status of USN &/or MC bases & their DOD decal status. There does NOT seem to be any homesteaders here even though there is a LOT of new construction on the base. If you approach the base from from El Paso on the "back" road through Ft. Bliss it has almost been completely reconstructed & the speed limit has increased to 65 mph. A real short cut! Played the little 9 hole golf course & it has really greened up for February. Wind this time of year sucks, but we don't have Spring in NM, it's WIND season!

C.H. left this review using the Directory software: - We spent 5 days here and generally agree with previous reviews. We had called the day prior to our arrival to make a reservation; that turned out not be necessary - the campground was empty when we arrived. While checking in at Outdoor Rec, I inquired about the showers and was assured they were operational. Not!! Although there was hot water in the sinks, there was no water, hot or cold, in the showers. We enjoyed a visit to the Missile Museum, particularly the inside displays dealing with the a-bomb test. Essentials were available at the small post exchange and commissary and there is a gas station. We came in from Las Cruces over the pass, but since we going to El Paso when we left, we took NM 213 south through the vast Fort Bliss ranges to the Texas line - a very good road that shortens the distance between WSMR and Fort Bliss considerably. We would probably stay here again.

Arrived here for originally a three night stay but extended for three more days. Getting on the Garrison is easy and finding the RV park is a piece of cake. We arrived on a weekend so Outdoor Recreation was closed. We just went to the park, picked a site and parked. Went to Rec Service the next morning and paid. If you have a large RV with big slide-outs, make sure you know how far they extend. Electrical boxes are right on the edge of the gravel pads with a couple of wooden posts on both sides. Bathrooms/showers are still closed. While here we toured the Missile Museum, White Sands National Monument, The Space History Museum, Old Town Mesilla and Cloudcroft. Small PX and Commissary have necessities. Nice golf course with very reasonable green fees. Beautiful views from the park.

The Fam Camp was easy to find if you follow directions, my TomTom took me right to it. We had called ahead and made reservations but checked in on Sunday so almost nothing was open. There was no bulletin board or any direction to tell us what spot to go to. We asked another camper & was told that the person they had spoken to said just take an empty spot, so we did the same. There are old reservation signs still hanging on many of the sites that are from March. It was easy to pull in and get connected, water, sewer and power 50/30 amp. Sites are long gravel pads with a covered patio with picnic table, really nice sites. The bathrooms are still being worked on, but it's obvious that they are not a priority nor is the FamCamp as it appears no one checks it with any frequency. When we arrived on Sunday we observed two dumpsters which were filled to overflowing, they were dumped on Monday morning. I was told that due to a record-setting hard freeze in early February the bathrooms and showers in the nearby clubhouse were closed, awaiting repairs. I asked if there was an estimated date of completion and was informed that they really didn't know. We could have used to showers in the aquatic center, but after taking a look at them decided to use our camper shower instead. The best thing about this area is the views of the mountains and the missile museum. Nearest town is Las Cruces, a nice city about 25 miles west. VERY quiet, remote setting. Small Commissary and even smaller BX, but adequate for the size of this base. I would not make this a stop if in the area again.

L.H. left this review using the Directory softwarfe: - Restrooms at FamCamp are now closed and posted as "Out of Order". Camp overall is in need of some attention but is generally a nice place to stay when visiting White Sands National Monument. The missile museum at the entrance is well worth visiting.

Easy to find if you follow directions - although we did have to ask at the Shopette as some of the roads and streets are not marked, but once park is found, it is easy to pull in and get connected. Due to a record-setting hard freeze in early February the bathrooms and showers in the nearby clubhouse were closed, awaiting repairs. We used to showers in the aquatic center, which were old, in fair shape, but showers were hot and roomy, so can't complain! 50 Amp service, water and sewer connections were easy and adequate, and adjacent covered patio was very nice. Mountains just behind campground were awesome!! Driving around the vast post is allowed, and if you're into tech stuff, there is plenty to see. "Town" is Las Cruces, a nice city about 25 miles west. Lady who runs campground from Outdoor Rec was VERY helpful in answering questions about almost everything. You can buy guns at Outdoor Rec and get them registered. If you're into outdoor activities, hiking is awesome! Nice fitness trail right next to campground is also nice. VERY quiet, remote setting. Small Commissary and even smaller BX, but adequate. We'd definitely stay here again. If you are Air Force, you'll save a LOT of time and hassle if you register your vehicle and display your decal at an Army, Navy, or Marine installation, or one of the few USAF bases that still issues vehicle ID's, because WSMR indeed DOES require either a DoD vehicle decal, or you have to produce license, registration, proof of insurance, and get a temporary pass - a time consuming process. We registered out truck at MacDill AFB in 2010 and have had zero problems at any Army or Navy base since.

My wife and I are retired Army, but were staying on WSMR while working as contractors on the Ft Bliss ranges just south of WSMR. Our experience here was quite good. The WSMR contonment area is small compared to most Army bases visited, but has everything we needed except diesel fuel.
We were able to tour the White Sands National Monument and the Trinity Test site while we were in the area. There are also old and active gold mines and trails nearby to explore. The park showers need serious attention. The night security lights were not operational the whole time we were here (we did call the MWR office about it). Parking is very spacious for RV as well as dinghy vehicles. CAUTION** Be sure to watch for Orick (large South African antelope) while driving on SR-213 (War Road). They are big animals and would cause lots of damage if they were hit.

The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, the scenery is awesome and although there's little to do (after the museum, much of the base is restricted), it is a lovely spot for the fully self-contained traveler. For anyone wanting a low impact exercise there's a beautiful walking track right next to the site, 2 laps in the morning and 2 laps in the evening makes a nice comfy 6 miles a day. The open pavilion is a nice respite from so many MWR sites with individual covered picnic tables. However, yes the mens room is in dire need of work, although the desk staff was fast in responding to being informed of the burned out lights.

Very beautiful place, only problem is there are only 8 FHs and there are full timers and unregisteredunpaying guests. Management never checks what is going on, bathrooms are abused and showers are broken in the male side. If these issues were corrected I would give 4 stars across the board.

No open spaces when I arrived. I did not call ahead for reservations and a group had reserved all the spaces from the 9th to the 15th. All the time I was there, there were two open spaces, so don't know what was happening with them. I was told at check in that the group had paid for all the spaces in advance. Stayed in overflow, which is just parking along a curb near the recreation building. It has two 20A duplex receptacles to plug into and that is it. Not that bad for the price. I don't know where nbrown was, but there are showers in the recreation building next to site number 1 and there is a laundry on base that I have used here before. It is a good place to stop and a good base to explore the region. It is small, but nice.

The view is awesome and we will definitely return when we have time to enjoy the activities in the area. The sites are not level but do have 50 amps. No restrooms/laundry on site but we did not need these with just an over night stay. The book says 14 miles from Las Cruces but it was more like 20 - 25 miles.

T.B. left this review using the Directory software: Great value ($10), peaceful & quiet (Except for 30-40 mph wind), but a long 20 mile up-the-mountain drive. It's beautiful, but a long way from Las Cruces.

There is not a sign that says SR 213 so don't look for it. Just exit where it says White Sands Missile Range as you are almost to the bottom of the hill after going over the pass from Las Cruces. Ignore the directions to turn on Aberdeen. Go straight down Headquarters Street to Martin Luther King Blvd which is on your right. It seems you are leaving the post but you aren't. Turn right and follow MLK Blvd. back west until you see the golf course on your left and the rv park on your right. The Outdoor Rec. building where you pay is on corner of Flagler and Ogden. I walked there as the exercise was needed and it's not that far. I found the restrooms and showers but the showers didn't seem to be functioning. The golf course was closed due to high winds (80 m.p.h.). Staff was nice and I'm sure would have helped me if I had asked but was leaving next day so didn't bother. Would stay here again.

We parked here for the 1st time and the RV park is small but it's really nice. The view from your front windshield is awesome. The only draw back we found is that the street signs are not placed where you can see them. When we came through the main gate and passed the Headquarters Bldg we were looking for Aberdeen St. We did not see a sign on our side of the street and we drove a few blocks further till we found a place we could turn a 40 foot MH with a toad. When we got back to the Headquarters we saw the sign on the right side of the street, there needs to be a sign on the other side of the street too. There's no doubt we'd stay here again when we're passing through Las Cruces, the staff at the Outdoor Office were very friendly.

N.L. left this review using the Directory software: This is the first time we´ve stayed at the Volunteer Park Travel Campsite at White Sands Missile Range, White Sands, NM. I called for reservations while staying at Holloman AFB and didn´t have any trouble requesting a week´s stay. Once we got here I asked while checking in, if I could go ahead and extend that to sixteen days. The Facility Manager, Geri Bustos, was extremely helpful and friendly and allowed the change in plans. The campground is not your typical campground. It is near the youth center and amounts to eight pull-through sites with water, sewer, and 30/50 amp service. No wi-fi and no cable. Cost is only $10 per day. Each site does have a huge covered patio (16 foot square) with a concrete picnic table and benches. The site also has a grill and a light. These are very long pull-through sites, at least 90 foot. Even the biggest RV with the longest toad could pull in without unhooking. They also have four overflow/tent sites that do have 15 amp service. No water or sewer. These sites are located where you park right on the road and hook-up into the power located about four feet from the road. These are not numbered and they are only $5 a day. There is no building that right off the bat screams shower house. There is a building at the end of the camp spots (next to site #1) that has a bathroom for both men and women. The woman´s has three stalls and one shower. When you turn on the light in the shower, one of them (can´t tell which one) makes a horrible racket. The lighting in there is also horrible. The handicapped stall doesn´t even have a light and it is so dark you would have to bring your own flashlight to see. However, we don´t use the shower house any way so it doesn´t matter to us. There is no laundry at the campground either although there is one on base. The base does have a fair sized commissary that can supply you with plenty of groceries. The PX is pretty much postage stamp sized, but does have a few odds and ends. The base does have a Post Office, Bowling Alley, Theater, Museum, and golf course. There are a few restaurants here, but just on base. There is the Mountain View Cafe, Frontier Club, Subway, Snack Bar at the Bowling Alley, and an Italian Café. If you want a bigger selection of stores and restaurants you can make the 22 miles drive over the mountain pass to the town of Las Cruces. There they have pretty much everything there and you will also find Interstates 10 and 25 there. You have an awesome view of the mountains at the campground and it is extremely quiet, even during the day - except for Thursdays when the garbage is picked up at 3:45 A.M.! No trains, no highways, no boom-boxes. Not too many lights at night either, so you can really see the stars clearly on a cloud free night.

Second time staying here. This is a very nice campground. Only 8 spaces, but was never full while I was here. It looks like there is overflow on one of the roads leading into the park with electric hookups. There was a motor home that stayed there most of the time. At other times it was seen in various parking lots on base. On the way out, another motor home hooked up to electric there. This is a small base or at least from what I can see. One of the other campers works on the base with construction. Did not see any buildup of troops since last visit. Only problem this time was wind. It is quite a drive to Las Cruces. Like one of the campers said, you pay the prices here or it is a 30 mile or 50 mile drive to something else. Definitely will stay here again when coming through.

Will come back here for sure. But campground personnel needs to be more careful with issuing parking places. We checked in went to the campground and found everything taken, Even though we had reservations, there were 3 unauthorized campers. One would not move claiming they had paid. No record? The other 2 snuck out during the dark hours of the night. MMMM. Other than that our stay was great. Won't use the bathrooms needs cleaning and updating.

Would go back in a heartbeat-this was 2nd visit and would return and hope it isn't windy!! Beautiful views and peaceful and great water pressure..super value for $10. Small base (now) about 20 miles from Las Cruces...no diesel or recycling on base. A laundramat by post office (which is helpful with receiving general delivery mail) is driving distance and a club within walking distance of rv park. The outdoor rec people-Gerry & Kim are super (we pulled in with tow car trouble and when we called outdoor rec Gerry came over within an hour to offer assistance). The auto hobby shop is great-they helped us and we had work done there as well as they also 'rescued' and worked with 2 other rv'ers! As someone else said be aware of dip in road by fire dept and auto hobby shop. Auto Zone in town gives military discount. Be aware not to plan during November time frame when the Colonel has her rally!

This was our second visit. Since we're desert rats, we love this place! Unfortunately the golf course was closed for the week for an up keep period........boo hiss! We'll come back! I'd love to see them add some sites!

I thought Arnold AFB was a hidden gem, but this place is better. $10 a night and we can't believe we're here. The scenery is world-class. MWR folks are great (Jerry & Kim). Base facilities are fine. Just as good as anywhere-slightly smaller is all. The bath-house has no key to worry about now, as someone's old review stated. The water pressure is great as well. The golf course is still dormant (brown grass-just greening), but at $18 a round (walking) it's hard to beat. If we weren't tryig to get to the G Canyon, we'd stay here longer. Why drive on to Holloman AFB? The end of Mrrch is the Baatan memorial (Death March) marathon, so expect WSMR to be full up then. Hope you get in sometime.