We keep plugging away at our goal to visit all 56 National Parks in the lower 48. Number 17 for us is a visit to White Sands National Park. The Tularosa Basin in southern New Mexico encompasses 275 square miles of gypsum sand dunes, the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. White Sands National Park preserves more than half of that, preserving a piece of New Mexico’s unique geology. Gypsum is rarely found as sand because it dissolves in contact with water. But, the isolation and weather patterns of the Tularosa Basin creates the exact environment necessary to create the unique sea of white. It looks so much like the white, sugary sand of the Gulf Coast in Florida. We kept thinking the ocean was just over the next dune. There are trails ranging from easy to extremely difficult throughout the park and some educational programs led by the park rangers. The Tularosa Basin has quite a rich military history. You can learn all about that by visiting the White Sands Missile Range Museum and Trinity Site, the place where the first atomic bomb was tested in 1945. The Space History Museum is also worth a visit in nearby Alamogordo.
Give The Sledding a Try
A popular park activity is sledding down the dunes. You can purchase a saucer in the Visitor’s Center (or bring your own) to slide down the dunes on. It sounds like a great idea except the sand is pretty sticky. Most of the people we saw were going head over teakettle down the dunes. And the ones that managed to stay with their sleds moved at a very slow rate. Not at all like the thrill ride we were expecting. I was going to try it but after witnessing the attempts of others, I decided not to.
Watch the Sunset
One thing you should definitely do is watch the sunset over the dunes. Not only is the sunset spectacular with all the dust and sand in the air, but the sand has an otherworldly glow to it as the sun goes down. There is a Ranger-led sunset stroll that starts about 45 minutes before sunset. We chose to stake a claim on top of one of the dunes next to a parking area.
A visit to White Sands National Park can take as little as half a day. So if you are anywhere nearby, take the drive down the scenic road and enjoy one of nature’s unique phenomenons. You won’t be disappointed.
Leave a Reply