Stay For The Sunset In White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park is located in the state of New Mexico. The park covers 145,762 acres in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a 275 sq mi field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals
White Sands National Park rises from the heart of the Tularosa Basin and created the world's largest gypsum dune field. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and preserves a piece of New Mexico's unique geology.
Getting Here
We traveled to White Sands from Arizona, passing through Las Cruces, New Mexico over the Rio Grande. From here you will go up and over the San Augustin Pass, which opens up to miles and miles of flat desert land. One landmark you will notice right away is the White Sands Missile Range and Base.
TIP: If you are planning on camping or staying near the park I suggest you stop in Las Cruces for any needed food and supplies as there is not much near the park, and the nearest town of Alamogordo might not have much open in the later hours.
What To Know
White Sands National Park runs on a seasonal calendar, and hours the park in open and closures are based on the season. Typically the park is open at sunrise and closes shortly after sunset.
NOTE: White Sands Missile Range regularly conducts military tests. For visitor safety, the only road into the dunefield, Dunes Drive, may be closed for periods of up to three hours during missile tests. Park staff is usually notified two weeks in advance of scheduled tests; however, notifications from White Sands Missile Range may be received up to 24 hours in advance of a test. Park staff work to inform the public as far in advance as possible for upcoming tests and park closures. You can check for closures here (https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/park-closures.htm)
How Much Does It Cost?
Entry to the Park is $25 per vehicle. If you plan to visit multiple parks on your trip I suggest you go with the annual Interagency park pass for $80 (learn more here https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm)
What to Do
The park is setup all along one central road, with turn outs for short trails and group picnic areas. Most people come into the park later in the day to enjoy the magnificent sunset over the vast and endless dunes.
Sunset In The Park
Probably the most unique thing about White Sands National Park is the hours of operation. The park remains open (check season calendar before visiting) late so that park visitors can experience the sunset. Hands down this was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had at a National Park. Its simple, just take the road to the end, park, and walk to a spot you love and enjoy.
The colors change over the horizon, the stars begin to appear, and at that moment you feel totally alone out there. Highly recommended experience.
Where to Camp
Inside the Park: We learned that you can camp in the park, and that these sites are extremely limited. You cannot reserve these sites, and you can only arrive to the park and inquire at the visitor center whether or not the campsite is open and if you can stay overnight. So going into it we had a backup plan of camping outside of the park near the closes town of Alamogordo
Alamogordo: The closes town to White Sands National Park. It took us about an hour to get to Oliver Lee Memorial Park where we camped for the night. It was a great campsite and extremely affordable. There is a camp host but we didn’t need them as checking in was very easy to do online. It was dark when we arrived, but as the sun came up the next day we could realized we were pretty far up in elevation and had sweeping views of the valley below.