All About White Sands National Park in New Mexico
Hike or sled on the world’s largest gypsum dune field at White Sands National Park in Southern New Mexico.
White Sands National Park is in the heart of the Tularosa Basin on the Northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert. Visitors can sled the dunes while learning about the unique white sand dunes.
What to do at White Sands National Park
No matter what you choose to do with your time at White Sands, make sure you have plenty of water. Once you leave the visitors center, gift shop, and bookstore, there are no other options for filling your water containers.
Sledding
The most popular thing to do at White Sands, other than walking the trails, is sledding on the dunes! This is what we looked forward to the most since we don’t sled often (no snow in Houston!) and it would be a unique experience. Sleds can be brought in or rented from the gift shop.
Picnic Areas
There are a number of picnic areas within the park. Bring an umbrella and a blanket, eat from the tailgate, or use one of the covered picnic benches in the park to grab a packed lunch. There are no restaurants in the park, the only food available is in the snack area at the gift shop.
Junior Ranger
Kids can do the Junior Ranger program at the park. Pick up the book in the visitor center before you drive into the park. Since the park is small, this is a pretty easy badge to complete.
Ranger Programs
There are a variety of ranger-led programs available, depending on the time of the day and the month of the year. Some of the more unique programs include a sunset walk and a full-moon hike.
The Best Trails and Hikes at White Sands
Excluding the backcountry trail, there are 4 hikes in White Sands National Park and they are all worth checking out while you are there.
Interdune Boardwalk
Playa Trail
Dune Life Nature Trail
Interdune Boardwalk
An easy boardwalk trail that leads to a scenic view of the dune field and the Sacramento Mountains.
Dune Life Nature Trail
A one-mile round-trip loop trail through the gypsum dunes.
Alkali Flat Trail
A moderate to strenuous trail through the heart of the dunes taking you over steep dunes to the edge of Alkali Flat.
Playa Trail
A short easy trail on level ground that leads out to a small playa.
What to see at White Sands National Park
White Sands Visitor Center
White Sands Visitor Center
The visitor center is before you get to the entrance booth where you show your National Park Pass or pay your entry fee. There are two parking lots at the visitor center, one in the front by the entrance to the bookstore and one in the back near the entrance to the gift shop. They are two separate buildings connected by an outdoor courtyard.
You’ll get a chance to see the true “Pueblo-Revival” architecture used for the visitor center. It was constructed from 1936 to 1938 using only local materials that were readily available.
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- White Sands Visitor Center
In the middle of a Playa
White Sands National Park Basics
19955 Highway 70 West,
Alamogordo, NM 88310
$25 per vehicle
Valid for 7 days
Mountain Time Zone
2019
Location, Phone Number, and Address
White Sands National Park is located in Southern New Mexico, near the city of Alamogordo. The park is surrounded by White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base, so make sure to search your maps for the National Park Visitor Center or type in the address so you aren’t taken to the wrong location.
The physical address for the park is 19955 Highway 70 West, Alamogordo, NM 88310. The park visitor center can be reached by phone at 575-479-6124.
NOTE: Please check the National Park website for current park and road closures. The adjacent White Sands Missile Range is an active site for missile testing for the US Military. There are many times that all of Highway 70 will be closed if missile tests are taking place. Typically, these are planned in advance, so check the park site for the most updated information before making your plans to visit the park.
What are the Entrance Fees for White Sands?
The entrance fee for White Sands is $25 per vehicle for 7 days. This is paid at the entrance booth on Dunes Drive, not at the visitor center.
You can also use all National Park and valid Interagency Passes at White Sands.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is White Sands National Park in?
All of the state of New Mexico is in the Mountain Time Zone. The state follows Daylight Savings Time.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
The best times to visit are during the cooler months. The park is about 275 square miles of desert and sand dunes, so it gets hot in the summer months. There are two ideal times to visit throughout the year. February and March are usually cool enough but after any snow in the area has melted. And then October, November, and December are a great time to visit after the summer heat but before the frigid temperatures of January.
When did White Sands become a National Park?
White Sands is one of the newer places to become a National Park although it isn’t new to the National Park Service. It had been White Sands National Monument since January 18, 1933, established by President Herbert Hoover. White Sands was upgraded to National Park status on December 20, 2019, by President Donald Trump.
How Big is White Sands National Park?
The glistening white sands of New Mexico engulf nearly 275 square miles of desert. About 115 square miles of this area is designated for recreation, including the area of the National Park.
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for White Sands National Park
Driving Through White Sands National Park
Dunes Drive is an 8-mile scenic drive through the dunes. It takes about 45 minutes to drive round trip if you don’t stop. Plan for extra time to explore the short trails or take a longer hike.
Note: The 2nd half of the trail is not paved — it’s all compacted sand.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
There is only one entrance to the park, situated on Highway 70 in South-Central New Mexico.
What is the Nearest City to White Sands?
The closest city to White Sands is Alamogordo, New Mexico. A bit further from that you have Riodoso, New Mexico, to the north. The park is also east of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and northeast of El Paso, Texas.
Itineraries including White Sands National Park
Lodging Near White Sands National Park
Where to Stay
Look for a place to stay in Alamogordo, New Mexico. There are a lot of hotel chains in the area as well as rental homes.
Campgrounds in the Area
White Sands has some backcountry campsites that you can reach from their backcountry camping trail at the far end of Dunes Drive. Check their website for information about permits and campsite openings. As of right now (June 2024) the backcountry camping is closed due to the rehabilitation of the campsites.
Outside of the park, you have a few options for camping that the National Park suggests such as Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, Leasburg Dam, Percha Dam, Caballo Lake, Rockhound, Elephant Butte, and City of Rocks.
What are the Closest National Parks to White Sands National Park?
Saguaro
325 miles • 4.75 hour drive
Facts about White Sands National Park
The Plants and Animals of White Sands
The plants at the dunes help protect the dunes from the elements while also providing shelter for wildlife. Only hardy plants survive in the area due to the high alkalinity in the soil and the extreme range in temperatures throughout the year. Some common plants in the area include cane cholla, soaptree yucca, alkali sacaton grass, Indian rice grass, skunkbush sumac, Rio Grande cottonwood, and purple sand verbena.
Most of the animal species in the park are nocturnal and have developed special means of survival in the harsh environment. Some of the species have even evolved by gradually changing their color to white or light gray to blend in with the gypsum dunes. There are more than 600 species of invertebrates in the park including spiders, wasps, beetles, and moths. There have been 246 recorded species of birds and 7 species of amphibians.
Interestingly, there is only one species of fish found in White Sands. The White Sands pupfish is also found only in White Sands. It has dark eyes and silver scales and can grow up to 2.5 inches in length.
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
The highest elevation in White Sands National Park is at NE 30 which is a former military installation sitting at 4,116 feet above sea level. The lowest point is 3,887 feet above sea level at Lake Lucero.
White Sands Fun Facts
- White Sands is the world's largest gypsum dunefield
- There are thousands of species of animals in the park with most of them being invertebrate
- 45 species of animals live only in the park, 40 of those are moth species
- White Sands is the most visited National Park in New Mexico
- Many movies have been filmed in White Sands back to 1948 including Four Faces West, Bite the Bullet, Young Guns II, Transformers 1 and 2, and The Book of Eli
- The dunes are not made of regular sand but pure gypsum which is soluble meaning it will dissolve in water
- Gypsum doesn't absorb heat so even on the hottest day the gypsum deposits will be cool to the touch
- Most of the dunes average about 30 feet in height but can reach up to 60 feet high
- The white sands are so bright and the dunefield is so large it can be seen from space