Explore White Sands National Park's Unique Gypsum Dunes

Loved it, returned to visit with family after 20 plus years. Many great improvements. Well maintained restroom facilities and shaded picnic tables. Better trails, asphalted entryway. Visitors Center very informative. Purchased Access Pass at Dunes Gate, great deal for the price. Plus Access to other locations included. Overall had a great time. Beautiful sunset over the distant mountains. Was planning to camp out but sites are currently unavailable due to upgrades. Would definitely recommend to all.

Trip on May 7, 2024 What a wonder! I’ll start at the visitors center…there are rangers to give details, a place for your passport stamp, and rest rooms at the entrance BUT there’s another shop behind the first building with gifts and snacks where you can rent a sledding board. Side note: when we were there, others had left the sleds at the parking lot for others to use so don’t worry if you forget to buy one! A short drive will get you to the first set of dunes; parking is parallel in a circle and easy to maneuver. There are restrooms at the parking lot. It’s a trek UP the side of the dunes and then approx one mile if you stay on the trail. Recommendations: take a backpack with PLENTY of water. The weather was in the upper 70s and windy so it was cool but you WILL get hot! I can’t imagine doing that in summer. Take a blanket to sit on and soak in the sights and sounds! Some folks even had a beach umbrella which was brilliant. Wear sunscreen. You NEED a hat and sunglasses to protect you from the sun and the sand when the wind blows. I wore tennis shoes. I saw many with hiking boots. This isn’t a normal outdoor hike. I wound up taking my shoes off and enjoying the cool sand between my toes…and it was easier to walk up! STRETCH your legs before you start. I’ve got some dead calves today from the hike up! It was a beautiful day in a beautiful place!

So for us this place was really really nice.... Walking around the dunes. Seeing all that happens there is definitely worth the trip. Amazingly enough when we were there an F-16 fighter jet crashed into the park. We happen to be right there and see the jet flame out, the pilot eject and the plane land over the dunes with a large plume of black smoke. That was definitely not the most exciting part of the trip but it was very interesting. And thank God that the pilot is okay. Parking is really easy all over the place. Great shade to have a snack and walk on the dunes. I would highly recommend hanging out at this place for a day!

Beautiful National Park/Monument next to Alamogordo in New Mexico. Not only unique because of its white sand dunes (formed with gypsum), the largest such field in the world, but also fun for the whole family. Young kids can enjoy sliding in the sand, the same way they do in the snow. For adults there are shorter and longer hikes that let you soak in the beauty of this place. Be aware though, sometimes the park is closed partially, or completely, because of a nearby air force base activities. You want to call them as close to the date of your visit as possible to confirm that they are open.

A very cool place to bring the kids and have lots of fun. I enjoyed the beauty of nature in a very white sandy environment. If you dare, the sand is also great for boogie board surfing. You can bring your own board or rent one at the park.