Sledding at the Alkali Flats in White Sands National Park is a unique and exhilarating activity that is fun for everyone.
White Sands National Park
1 Hour
Spring, Fall
$15 per sled + $25 Park Entrance Fee
Overview
White Sands is famous for its vast gypsum sand dunes, which create a pristine, white landscape. The smooth, soft sand makes it perfect for sand sledding, which is one of the most popular activities in the park. White Sands National Park is the largest gypsum dune field, about 275 square miles.
Ryan sledding on the dunes
Tyler sledding on the dunes
Sledding on the Dunes Plan
When we started planning our trip for Spring Break, which included a day at White Sands, we looked up activities and hikes on the park’s website. Tyler and Ryan saw the information about sledding and we decided that needed to be our first activity. The park store sells sleds, but once they are out that’s all they have for the day.
I was worried about getting a sled, so we were at the visitors center and park store about 15 minutes before they opened and went straight to get the sleds. It turns out, they had plenty at that time. The store had close to probably 100 sleds available for purchase. And if you turn it back into the store at the end of the day, you get a $5 voucher for use in the park store. You can purchase new sleds, or sometimes they have used sleds for a discounted price.
There are only a few places around the park where sledding is allowed. The only place you can’t sled is on the interdune areas, including around Interdune Boardwalk Trail and Playa Trail, to preserve the desert vegetation that lives there. Based on this, and information I found when researching dune sledding in White Sands, we chose Alkali Flats Trail as one of the best places in the area to sled.
Justin sledding on the dunes
Tyler climbing back up while Ryan sleds down
Getting There
Location
Alkali Flats is in White Sands National Park located in Southern New Mexico about one hour from Las Cruces. The closest airport is El Paso International Airport in Texas. The National Park Service will sometimes have to close the park if the adjacent White Sands Missile Range or Holloman Air Force Base is performing any missile testing. Be sure to check the National Park site for any closure information. White Sands National Park is one of the United States’ newest national parks, although it has been White Sands National Monument for many years.
Best Time to Go
The best time to visit White Sands National Park for activities like sledding on the dunes depends on your preference for weather and crowds. Fall and spring offer the best combination of comfortable weather and manageable crowds. If you can tolerate cooler or hotter temperatures, winter and summer can also be great times, especially for catching the park when it’s less crowded! Be aware of strong winds that can pick up the sand and cause small sand storms. These make it dangerous to be out on the trail since you won’t easily see the trail markers.
Stephanie at the dunes
Never-ending view of the white gypsum sand dunes in White Sands National Park
Sledding on the Dunes
Who Can Go?
Sledding is available for anyone who can make the climb up the dunes to sled back down. The dunes can reach 60 feet in height, but the average dune is about 30 feet tall. To go sledding down the dune, you will have to climb up the dune. The dune sleds don’t go very fast, so it could be good even for younger kids to try.
What You'll See
From almost anywhere in White Sands National Park, you can see the white gypsum dunes for miles around. To the west, you can see the San Andreas Mountains.
Footsteps in the sand
Desert vegetation on the sand dunes
What to Bring & Wear
Wear layers as it is often cool in the early morning and evening in the park, but warms up during the day. I suggest closed-toe shoes for walking up and down the sand dunes.
You’ll need a sled to go sledding. You can bring your own sled, or purchase one from the park store as long as they have some available.
Don’t forget water and sun protection. Even when it is cool outside, you are still in a desert park. There’s no water available past the park entrance, so make sure you have plenty of water with you when you enter the park. Bring a lunch to enjoy at one of the picnic areas in the park.
Where to Go
Alkali Flats is at the very end of Dunes Drive Road (the only road in the park), on the northwestern corner of the accessible portion of the park. As you travel down Dunes Drive, you’ll go past the paved area onto the part of the drive that is hard-packed sand. Once you reach the fork in the road, take it around to the right until you reach the large parking lot for Alkali Flats.
How Long Does it Take?
You can spend as much or as little time as you want playing on the sand dunes. We spent about an hour exploring the dunes and sledding. Justin and I tried the sleds a couple of times, but Tyler and Ryan kept going over and over again.
Tyler worn out from all of the sledding
Ryan made a sand angel!
Cost
As of September 2024, a new sled costs $15 and a sandboard costs $25.00 at the White Sands National Park. It’s well-publicized that you’ll receive $5 back when you return your sled.
Park Store Website https://whitesandstradingcompany.com/
Reserve a Sled or Sandboard: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/whitesandstradingcompany/items/?ga=UA-17607719-19,1580796989.1727718631;&full-items=yes&back=https://whitesandstradingcompany.com/&g4=yes
Tips for Sledding on the Dunes
- The gypsum sand dunes are not as soft as snow. A fall at the end of a sled on hard-packed sand at the bottom of the dunes will feel very different from falling in the snow.
- There’s a vault toilet available in the parking area for Alkali Flats.
- Waxed plastic snow saucers work best and can be purchased at the park's gift shop.
- Make sure the sledding path does not cross the roadway or parking areas and is free from hazards such as vegetation, hard clumps of sand, or other obstructions.
- The more times you go down the same path, the faster that path gets.
- Another good place for sledding in the park is the Dune Life Nature Trail.