This National Park Is a ‘Waterless Sea'—and It Has Giant Sand Dunes That Glow Pink and Blue at Sunset

Travel + Leisure

a day ago

White Sands National Park is home to the world's largest gypsum dune field.
While here, visitors can participate in activities like sand sledding, scenic drives, and ranger-led star watching programs on full moon nights.
The park is best visited in spring or fall for mild weather, though the park is also pretty enchanting in the winter.
Hike the Alkali Flat Trail for sweeping views of the dunes or take the Dune Life Nature Trail to learn about the desert ecosystem.
Though hikers should plan to bring their own provisions, the visitors center does have grab-and-go food options.
Rising out of the Tularosa Basin in south-central New Mexico is one of the country's most underrated wonders: waves of pure white sand spreading as far as the eye can see. At first glance, it looks like a vast expanse of snowdrifts, but step out of your car and you'll find it crunches underfoot.
This vast, otherworldly sight is part of southern New Mexico's White Sands National Park. It's a special place that's been sculpted by wind and time into a dazzling, ever-shifting landscape.
'White Sands National Park is the largest gypsum sand dunefield in the world. It covers 275 square miles with glittering white sand and unusual desert vegetation,' Nicole Barker, the media relations manager at the New Mexico Tourism Department, tells Travel + Leisure . 'The park [also] offers several ranger-led programs that allow visitors to experience the park in a more immersive way.'
Immersion is the name of the game at White Sands National Park, which tends to draw adventurers and solitude seekers—along with photographers chasing the golden hours of sunrise and sunset, when the dunes glow an ethereal pink and blue.
Here's everything you need to know before visiting White Sands National Park: Sunset over the sand dunes of White Sands national Monument.
White Sands National Park is open daily, year-round, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. The park opens at 7 a.m. every day and closes shortly after sunset. It has just one visitor center‚ White Sands Visitor Center—which is where most people's journeys begin
There is currently no way to stay overnight in the park, and there are very limited food options—the gift shop inside the visitors center has a selection of packaged sandwiches, bottled drinks, and snacks for sale. It is best to arrive with a cooler of food and drink.
Entry into the park is $25 per vehicle, which covers you, your passengers, and any leashed dogs you may have. Purchasing your pass in advance online can help you save time, especially if you're visiting during the park's busy season. But, if you do, you'll want to download or print your pass before getting to the park because there is no WiFi within White Sands National Park, cell coverage is limited, and there are several service dead zones.
White Sands National Park can also close unexpectedly due to inclement weather. The park can see high winds, which lead to intense, blowing sand. And during heavy rains, the back half of Dunes Drive can become difficult to navigate. Check the park's Current Conditions page for updates on road closures, weather, and activity availability. And when you do visit, Barker asks that guests keep one simple principle in mind.
'Please Leave No Trace when visiting," she says. "We are all responsible for leaving these beautiful areas exactly how we found them and helping preserve the land for future generations ahead of us.' Soaptree Yucca plants in the Gypsum white sand of White Sands National Monument.
The best time to visit White Sands National Park is in the spring and fall.
Fall is Barker's favorite time in the park, and she specifically recommends visiting between late September and late November to enjoy the season's mild temperatures. She notes that while both spring and fall are ideal if you want temperate weather for hiking, fall tends to be quieter, and spring can be windy. 'The temperatures during the fall are very similar to the spring, often reaching between 70 and 80 degrees," she says.
In the summer, the park can be hot, with temperatures sometimes reaching 110-degrees-Fahrenheit. The rainy season typically begins in July, bringing with it afternoon thunderstorms. The rainy season can last through late September, which is when the park begins to cool.
The park is surprisingly lovely in the winter, when daytime temperatures average 60 degrees and occasional snow adds to the beauty of the dunes. A driver navigating through White Sands.
The park is just over three hours from Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and just under five hours east of Tucson International Airport (TUS) in Tucson, Arizona. Because a car is needed to get to and explore White Sands National Park, many people visit the park as part of a larger tour of New Mexico or the Southwest. Barker notes that a visit to the dunes 'pairs beautifully with a longer southern New Mexico road trip.'
There is just one entrance to White Sands National Park, which is also where the sole visitor center can be found. The entrance is located on US-70, between the towns of Alamogordo and Las Cruces, New Mexico. The entrance is approximately 20 minutes west of Alamogordo and 50 minutes east of Las Cruces. A visitor sledding down white sand dunes.
R.The powdery-white hills that look like snow can be treated as such, with sand dune sledding ranking among the park's most popular activities. Inside the visitor center's trading post and gift shop, there are waxed, plastic saucer sleds for purchase.
Sledding is allowed in the loop portion of Dunes Drive, away from the road and where there is little or no vegetation. Barker recommends 'sledding at the Alkali Flat trailhead parking area,' which has some of the tallest sledding dunes.
The Dunes Drive is a 16-mile scenic drive that starts at the visitor center and runs into the dunefields. The drive is a great way to access lesser-used sledding hills, hike trail-free dunes, or find photography inspiration. Along the road are wayside exhibits, picnic areas, and vault toilets.
The first four miles of Dunes Drive are paved, and the last four miles are a hard-packed, gypsum road. Cars of any kind can make the drive.
On the nights surrounding the full moon, in summer and early fall, the park hosts a Full Moon Night. 'On full moon nights, park hours are extended two hours from the normal closing time," Barker says. "Full Moon Night programs are held in the amphitheater with live music, ranger programs, and special guest presenters and artists.'
People show up with camp chairs, blankets, and a cooler stocked with food to listen to the music or learn from a park ranger. Full Moon Nights typically last for two hours and are free, although the $25 per car park entrance fee applies. Backpacker Hiking at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.
ferrantraite/Getty Images
To hike among the park's biggest dunes, head to Alkali Flat Trail—a not-so-flat trail (in fact, it climbs several steep dunes) that leads to a dry lakebed. The park calls the trail 'strenuous' and notes that it is five miles round-trip. The journey up and over the dunes takes most hikers around three hours.
A more moderate way to explore White Sands National Park is the Dune Life Nature Trail, a one-mile loop that takes most people an hour to complete. The journey, while short, does a great job of showcasing the ecosystem that is created when two landscapes meet—in this case, desert scrub brush and gypsum dunes. The trail is located along the edge of the dunefield and showcases information on the animals that live within the park.
From March to November, when the moon is full, the park hosts a Moonlight Hike. According to Barker, park rangers lead a Moonlight Hike along the Dune Life Nature Trail, a journey that takes up to two hours and costs $8 per person ($4 for kids ages 15 and younger). Tickets are available one month before the day of the tour via Recreation.gov.
For another ranger-guided hike, check out the park's Sunset Stroll, which usually takes place during sunset's golden hour. "It's a great opportunity to learn about the park's geology, plants, and animals while enjoying the sunset over the mountains," Barker says.
To truly understand the magnitude of the world's largest gypsum dune field, plan on completing the Backcountry Camping Trail. The two-mile loop takes between two to three hours to complete and provides expansive views of the rippling snow-white gypsum dunes. It is also a great place to catch the sunset. Outdoor patio with firepits at Home2 Suites by Hilton Alamogordo.
There is no overnight lodging or camping in the park at the moment so you'll need to arrange lodging in the neighboring towns of Alamogordo (20 minutes away) or Las Cruces (50 minutes away).
One of the closest lodging options to White Sands National Park is the Home2 Suites in Alamogordo. The all-suite hotel has kitchenettes and a pet-friendly policy.
Barker recommends Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, which she says has 'an ambiance reflective of Spanish and Mexican Colonial history and tradition.' The hotel has a beautiful outdoor swimming pool and an on-site restaurant and bar that serves up New Mexican fare.
The camping site closest to White Sands National Park is at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. It has 15 sites with water and electricity, along with 24 developed dry camp sites for tents, and three ADA-friendly sites. Camping reservations can be made online.
Barker adds that the state park is vast and more than worth exploring, and it has 'hiking trails, an old ranch house, and natural pools.' Covered picnic tables in White Sands National Park.
Apart from the limited, prepackaged provisions available at the visitor center's trading post and gift shop, there is no other food in the park. For that reason, most visitors bring their own food and drink and plan to picnic. There are three main picnic areas in the park, Yucca, Roadrunner, and Primrose. All can be found off Dunes Drive. Most of the picnic area is shaded, and there are grills near the tables. (Personal grills are also welcome.) Barker favors the Roadrunner picnic area, personally.
This local favorite in Alamogordo offers a higher-end dining experience, which Barker says comes 'paired with the best New Mexico wine.'
Barker describes Hi-D-Ho Drive-In as 'a vintage drive-in beloved for [its] impressive selection of burgers and burritos while preserving the nostalgic roadside dining experience of the 1950s.' Plus, their green chile burgers have a cult following.
For a cool treat after a day in the park, swing by Caliche's, which has locations in both Alamogordo and Las Cruces. Barker notes that the dessert spot is 'known for its creamy, rich frozen custard, sundaes, and signature treats like the Green Chile Sundae.'
This beloved eatery in Las Cruces serves up 'chef-inspired tapas with an award-winning wine list and craft cocktails,' according to Barker. Salud! de Mesilla has a great brunch menu and creative dishes like green chile pesto pasta and a Prickly Pear Creme Brûlée.