10 Tips to Visit White Sands National Park

The gypsum dunes that rise from the Tularosa Basin are one of the great natural wonders of the world, known as the glistening White Sands of New Mexico. The gypsum sand dunes have swallowed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves the majority of this unique natural feature, along with native animals and plants.

Designated a national monument in 1933 by President Hoover, the park was re-designated as our nation’s 62nd National Park by President Trump in 2019. The re-designation recognizes the added significance of the park for its natural and cultural resources.

Gypsum sand is different than ordinary silica sand in that: 1. It is water soluble. 2. It is colorless. 3. It does not absorb heat (which really comes in handy on an August afternoon). The white color comes from scratches in the clear-colored sand that reflect the sun’s rays. Another interesting fact is 3,000 African Oryx live in the park (they look like big gazelle).

The goal of this article is to give just enough information to inspire you. There will be more comprehensive articles on the internet (but they will take much longer to read). We’re just gonna stick to the good stuff and hope you get something out of it. Enjoy!

1. The Best Time to Visit is Sunrise or Sunset

At the beginning and end of the day the temperature is mild, there are fewer tourists, and photos turn out better. This holds especially true at White Sands National Park because the gypsum sand is blinding when the sun is high. Plus, the shadows look nice on the dunes, the mountains are less hazy, and the sky is often more dramatic.

2. Explore the Visitor Center Before Walking the Dunes

As beautiful as they are, the dunes are more than meets the eye. The visitor center explains the complicated ecosystem very well. There is a small movie theater showing a nature film that does a good job of keeping kids’ attention. A little bit of information elevates your nature walk in the gypsum dunes.

3. Head Deep into the Park and Walk Past the Footprints

If you want those classic dunes photos you will have to do two things: 1. Drive 7.5 miles from the visitor center to the end of the road (there’s a loop with lots of parking at the end). 2. Walk toward the mountains for about 20-30 minutes. Park visitors trample the dunes by the parking areas, leaving footprints all over. Once you’ve rolled over a half-dozen dunes the footprints subside.

4. Sand Sledding is a Thing at White Sands National Park

Sand is almost as good as snow… almost. You can buy the sleds at the White Sands National Park gift shop or bring your own. The KOA in Alamogordo lends them for free. Walk up the tallest dune and have a blast! Here’s a video.

5. Hikes of All Lengths are Available (Simple Map of Park)

The Playa Trail and Interdune Boardwalk are each 0.4 miles long. You will see their signs shortly after entering the park. Also near the entrance is the Interdune Trail, a one-mile loop. Each of these short hikes will introduce you to the dunes with a low level of commitment. Near the end of the road is the White Sands Backcountry Trail; it is 1.8 miles with red markers to guide the way. At the very back is the Alkali Flat Trail, a similar trail to the Backcountry Trail, but 4.7 miles in length. The truth is, you can walk for miles and miles as the dunes go on seemingly forever. We encourage you to not get lost.

6. There is a Park Ranger Guided Walk at Sunset

The Sunset Stroll is a leisurely, ranger-guided stroll through the dunes. It is a splendid opportunity to experience the dunes first-hand while learning about the uniqueness of our geology, plants, and animals. The stroll ends at sunset, providing a panoramic view of the sun setting over the mountains. Inquire about tour times at the gift shop.

7. Double Gift Shop

Some national parks will have a private gift shop in addition to the NPS sponsored store. The NPS store is typical and on the small side, but the White Sands Trading Company has souvenirs aplenty.

8. Stay in Alamogordo — White Sands National Park

The town of Alamogordo is a well-kept secret in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert. In addition to nearby White Sands National Park, Alamogordo is known for the New Mexico Museum of Space, White Sands Missile Range Museum, Alameda Park Zoo, and carries the special designation of being the site of the first atomic bomb test. The Saturday night market is quite the scene.

9. The Alamogordo KOA is Recommended

We aren’t sure we’ve ever met a more pleasant and helpful campground staff. The park is decent enough, if not ordinary, but the people made it a wonderful stay for our family.

10. Drive to Cloudcroft — White Sands National Park

Cloudcroft is a funky western town at the top of the Sacramento Mountains. From Alamogordo, take highway 82 into the mountains to the very top — a beautiful, twenty mile drive. In the town of Cloudcroft enjoy the low-key, ski resort town with its old-timey restaurants, bars, and museums.

An Honest Conclusion for White Sands National Park

Some national parks can take days or weeks to explore, which is great, but sometimes its nice to spend a few hours and feel like we’ve seen it. We could have hiked a little further into the dunes — we always could hike a little further — but we’re satisfied with our experience at White Sands National Park.

We would like to thank you for stopping by our site and invite you to click around and check it out. Our family travels the USA full-time and we love to chat about what we see and do. If you are interested in other National Parks in the area, check out our 10 Tips for Guadalupe Mountain and Big Bend.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!