We were up early today and on the road by 7:00 a.m.. I wanted to get to Bandelier early because of the limited choice of campsites. This campground is an older national park like campground which means there will only be a few sites we’ll be able to fit into. We got here at noon and got the only pull through site in the park ( lucky Harry and Jean ) site 55.
Paying for the site was an interesting endeavor. Most things here are pay by credit card machine this includes entry into the park and camping.
Here are the registration instructions on the campground map.
TO REGISTER: Choose a vacant site (DO NOT put anything on the site until the site is paid for) and return to self-registration area at campground entrance. Follow directions posted by the fee machine. Place
receipt from machine on dashboard. Note: Machine give $1 coins for change.
If you wish to extend your stay you must do so after 12:00 Noon.
Camping fee is separate from the ENTRANCE FEE.
Campers must stop at the entrance station to show valid entrance pass upon every re-entry into park.
Two paragraphs below this on the registration instruction sheet the instructions say; “Campsites must be vacated by 11:30a.m. unless payment has been made for the following night.”
My first question is how can I extend my stay if I must make the “extend your stay you must do so after 12:00 noon” but I must be, ”vacated the site by 11:30 a.m. unless payment has been made.”?
Second question, “DO NOT put anything on the site until the site is paid for,” When I find the site I want how do I know that someone else has not selected this site and is at the pay station paying for the site. If I get to the self-service credit card pay station and someone else has already paid for the site I have to find another, this could be an interesting challenge when 10 people are driving around the 3 campground loops looking for a site.
Another great opportunity is at the automated pay station. On the payment machine it says you can use a credit card $1.00’s, $5.00’s, $10.00’s and $20.00’s. On the sign about three feet to the right of this payment machine, in the middle of the instruction for registration it says, “ DO NOT USE $20.00’s” You’ve got to love the great ability of our government.
Oh yea, on the receipt which is printed from the automated payment machine it says we have to be out of our site by 11:00 a.m., Thanks that is really useful information.
