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White Sands National Park is an amazing place to spend a day. It’s a huge field of white sand dunes located in southern New Mexico.
History
White Sands National Park was originally designated a national monument on January 18, 1933. It was redesignated a national park on December 20, 2019. The park is completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base. It has been used as a filming location for several feature films, and is the world’s largest gypsum dune field.
Entrance Fee
The entrance fee to White Sands National Park is US$25 per vehicle (as of September 2023), or free for holders of an interagency pass. The park is open year-round except Christmas Day. It opens at 7am while closing hours vary depending on the season. Ranger-guided programs are offered throughout the year, some for an additional fee.
Lodging and Camping
There’s no lodging in the park, but there is primitive backcountry camping. Unfortunately, it’s currently closed due to rehabilitation of camping sites (as of September 2023). Several public and private campgrounds are within an hour’s drive of the park. The nearest cities with hotels are Alamogordo (13 miles) and Las Cruces (50 miles).
Visitor Center
The visitor center at White Sands National Park is a historic building constructed between 1936 and 1940. It contains a museum, gift shop, and snack bar. There’s also a 17-minute film running every half hour. Opening hours vary by season.
Dunes Drive
Dunes Drive is the only road in the park. It runs for 16 miles round-trip with a short loop at the end. All trailheads are located along Dunes Drive, as well as outdoor exhibits, picnic areas, vault toilets, and parking areas.
The first five miles are paved and the last three are hard-packed gypsum. The drive takes about 45 minutes to complete, without stops for hiking, sledding, or picnicking.
Hiking
There are five hiking trails at White Sands National Park. They are the Interdune Boardwalk (0.4 miles round-trip, accessible); Playa Trail (½ mile round-trip, easy); Dune Life Nature Trail (1 mile loop, moderate); Backcountry Camping Trail (2 mile round-trip, moderate); and Alkali Flat Trail (5 miles, strenuous).
While we only allocated enough time to do the Interdune Boardwalk, all of the trails at the park allow visitors to explore the geology, flora, and fauna at the dunes. There’s no shade, and it’s recommended not to hike if the temperature is above 85 ºF (30 ºC). Take plenty of water and use sunscreen.
Sledding
Sledding is by far the most popular and enjoyable activity at White Sands National Park. You can bring your own sled or purchase a plastic disc sled from the gift shop with a “sell it back” option. Blocks of wax are also for sale.
We stopped at a few sledding spots off the loop on Dunes Drive. It was the highlight of our trip to the park, and I can’t wait to go back and do it again!
