General information about the National Park
Current: In January 2020, White Sands was elevated to the status of a national park. This makes it the 62nd national park in the USA.
The national park here protects huge white gypsum dunes. They were formed by sediments loosened by snow and ice from the surrounding mountains.
Number of visitors
In 2023 White Sands NP ranked 31st in the visitor statistics of the most visited national parks.
Best time to visit: November till June.
Our visits:
So far 2 visit: August 1994, October 2014
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 25$/car and all passengers valid for 7 days
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open 24h all year except December 24 and 25.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
White Sands NP
Description: The white gypsum dunes were formed by sediments dissolved by snow and ice from the surrounding mountains. The dissolved salts entered the Tularosa Basin here. Because the basin has no outlets, however, the salts remained here and crystallized into gypsum by evaporation. The gypsum crystals broke up due to wind and weather and were piled up by the wind to form dunes. There is a about 20 kilometer park road directly into the dunes. From here you can follow designated trails, or hike cross-country on your own. Because of missile tests on the neighboring military base, the park is regularly closed for a few hours for security reasons.
Our rating: To us, White Sands NP is a real feast for the eyes. One of our favorite parks offers us lots of exciting photo opportunities and unusual views. We think it's great here at any time of day. We just like to hike cross country and have the dunes to ourselves without footprints, untouched so to speak. Especially at sunset, this is almost a magical place. Our absolute recommendation!!!
