White Sands National Park Adventure: New Mexico's Gypsum Dunes

Description

White Sands National Park, located in southern New Mexico, is a natural wonder featuring over 275 square miles of gypsum sand dunes, the largest of its kind in the world. This unique landscape offers a range of activities, from leisurely hikes along marked trails to dune sledding for thrill-seekers. Start your visit at the visitor center to learn about the park's history and get maps for the various trails. Explore the 16-mile Dunes Drive to get a comprehensive view of the park's beauty. Enjoy the stunning sunsets over the sand dunes, a perfect backdrop for photography. Be sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and protective eyewear to stay safe in the desert environment.

Itinerary

Start at the visitor center to gather information and purchase entry tickets.
Explore Dunes Drive for a scenic view of the park.
Choose from several hiking trails, such as the Interdune Boardwalk, Playa Trail, Dune Life Nature Trail, Backcountry Camping Trail, or Alkali Flat Trail.
Try dune sledding at designated areas with a sled from the visitor center.
Capture stunning photos at sunset from various vantage points.

4.8 ● Google reviews

Rashid Mamun

3 weeks ago

Beautiful and unique national park! It’s relatively small, but the stunning white gypsum dunes make it feel completely different from anywhere else. Great for photos, exploring, and enjoying the scenery. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in New Mexico!
D Sturgeon

a week ago

Great place to just enjoy the otherworldly experience. Bring a sled, sunblock, water, light clothes, sunblock, and water. You can easily spend an entire day here finding good dunes to sled down. Did I mention bringing water and sunblock? Definitely one you want to add to you NP bucket list.
Texas Murphy

a month ago

We visited White Sands over Easter weekend, and it was such a cool and surreal experience. Even just driving through the park surrounded by these huge white sand dunes feels like you’ve landed in another world. Easter weekend made it even more fun. There was an Easter Bunny out there, and we saw families burying Easter eggs in the sand and doing their Easter egg hunts right on the dunes. Such a fun idea! If you’re looking for a unique way to celebrate Easter with kids, I would definitely recommend it. We also rented sleds and tried sledding down the dunes. That part was fun to try, but honestly a little underwhelming. We tried a few different spots and the sledding was pretty slow. It was cool to say we did it, but probably not something we would spend hours doing. Overall, the scenery and experience of being out among the white dunes was definitely the highlight. Such a unique place and a really memorable Easter weekend!
Chet

2 weeks ago

This is a gem of a national park. Must come if you're in New Mexico. Heck, come to New Mexico for this place. Not crowded. Came here during sunset and in the morning. Both offers different feel and views. Pictures doesn't do it justice. Unique experience. The "sand" feels cool to the touch!
Daniel

2 weeks ago

I absolutely loved this park! The best place to check out the sunset and the dunes are great to hike and also sand board, which they rent out the board at the visitor center! Lots of great spots to hike along the road and there are a few picnic spots which I definitely recommend when enjoying this park! I can’t wait to visit again in the future!

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