Los Alamos Radiation Effects Summer School

Housing and Local Information

Housing and transportation

Every year, several hundred students come to Los Alamos to work and live. Housing can get quite scarce, and options will be more expensive and less attractive than you expect ($800-$1200/mo for a furnished apartment). Much of the housing in Los Alamos was built in the 1940s and 50s, so expect older rental accommodations.

Look early; we strongly recommend you having housing arranged by April 1, 2021.

Additionally, month-to-month rental options may be hard to find, so some students end up agreeing to 3 month leases in order to secure housing. Please do not wait until the last minute to start looking for housing!

Los Alamos or White Rock

Housing is listed for Los Alamos or White Rock. White Rock is a neighborhood of Los Alamos, separated from the "main hill" by a 10 min drive down the hill, but still adjacent to Lab property and serviced by Atomic City transit’s free public bus service. Note that Atomic City transit only runs during weekdays. In addition to Atomic City transit, a bicycle or car is recommended for getting around Los Alamos and White Rock.

Santa Fe

If you can't find housing in Los Alamos, consider Santa Fe. Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico. There is a daily Park-n-Ride service between Los Alamos and neighboring towns. A car is recommended if you live outside of Los Alamos or White Rock.

Housing Resources 

• LANL postdoc housing listings: accommodation resources for LANL postdocs and students

Travel resources

Please note that there are no commercial flights to the Los Alamos airport. There are limited bus service connections to Albuquerque and Santa Fe through NMDOT’s “Park & Ride” turquoise, blue, and purple routes.

• Albuquerque International Sunport: Albuquerque’s international airport (ABQ)
• Santa Fe Municipal Airport: Santa Fe’s regional airport (SAF)
• Railrunner train: train service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe
• NMDOT Park & Ride (pdf): turquoise, blue, and purple bus routes to Los Alamos
• Atomic City Transit: Routes and schedules for free bus services around Los Alamos and White Rock. Bus services are Monday – Friday only.

Climate and weather

Los Alamos is located at an elevation of 7500 feet (2300 m). Due to this high elevation, heavy physical exertion should be avoided until you acclimate. Drink plenty of fluids to adjust to the altitude. June and July days are usually warm, and brief afternoon rainstorms happen frequently. Temperatures range from high 50's to high 80's. The sun can be very bright at altitude, so a hat and sunscreen are recommended if you are outside a lot.

LANL summer student events

LANL groups organize a variety of events for summer school students and summer interns, including facility tours, talks, barbecues, and picnics.

Los Alamos concert series

The Summer Concert Series is presented FREE to the public by the County of Los Alamos and local businesses, professionals and neighbors. This series of Friday evening concerts-in-the-park spans the summer from late May into early September, and is held at Ashley Pond. Visitors can pull up a lawn chair and enjoy an eclectic variety of talent from rock to blues, jazz, country, Latin, Americana, African & World rhythms and more including Russian Rokenroll. All concerts begin at 7 unless otherwise noted.

Near Los Alamos

• Living in Los Alamos: Los Alamos visitors' guide
• Bandelier National Monument: forests and canyons with opportunities for day hiking, backcountry hiking, camping, and learning about the cliff dwelling and culture of the Ancestral Puebloans (~20-min drive from Los Alamos, close to White Rock)
• Pajarito Ski Hill: mountain biking and hiking in summer, skiing and snowboarding in the winter (~10-min drive from Los Alamos)
• Valles Caldera National Preserve: alpine valley with opportunities for day hiking, backcountry hiking, fishing, and wildlife viewing (~25-min drive from Los Alamos)
• Visiting Santa Fe: visitor’s guide to restaurants, culture, and outdoor recreation (~40-min drive from Los Alamos)
• Visiting north central New Mexico: things to do around Taos, Abiquiu, Santa Fe, and the Rio Grande Gorge.