White Sands National Park

New Mexico updated their quarantine restrictions, so Mac and I headed up to White Sands National Park over Labor Day. White Sands is another natural set of sand dunes, similar to (but nowhere near as big) as Great Sand Dunes National Park. It’s also one of the newest national parks! These dunes are made of gypsum and are the largest of their kind in the world.

Address and Location

You’ll find White Sands National Park between mile markers 199 and 200 on US 70 heading west outside of Alamogordo, New Mexico. If you’re using a GPS, be sure to search for White Sands National Park or National Monument. Using just White Sands may direct you to the missile range.

Cost

Each admission fee is good for seven days. Admission for a vehicle with more than one adult costs $25. If you are alone in your car, admission will be $15. Motorcycles cost $20. Annual passes run for $45. As always, America the Beautiful pass holders get in free.

What to do

Head to the Visitor’s Center to check out the museum and grab a map. You can also rent sleds if you are interested in sledding down the dunes. From there, you’ll drive to the entrance gate and enter the park. You can spend an hour or two exploring or make a day on the dunes.

We opted to hike the Nature Trail. This trail is closer to the entrance and frequently has animal tracks from the different critters living in the park. It is all sand, and you do have to climb two dunes.

And be sure to drive the park loop. The white sands are further back in the park, but they are worth the drive. You can pull off at spots along the road or park in lots. Just know that the paved section of the road does end, so you’ll want to drive a vehicle that can handle packed sand. Lots of people were climbing the dunes and sledding down. Many families packed coolers and umbrellas because this is the closest we can get to a beach in this part of the Southwest!

New Mexico National Park Service sites: Aztec Ruins National Monument |