Heaps of beautiful white gypsum sand dunes surrounded by the mountains of New Mexico make White Sands National Park a scenic and unusual place to visit. The dunes here are much smaller than Grand Sand Dunes National Park, which makes it easier for families with young kids to have a fun day of dune sledding.
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Where is White Sands National Park?
White Sands National Park is located between Alamogordo, New Mexico and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range are neighboring military installations.
Where to Stay Near White Sands National Park
No lodging is available inside White Sands, but there are plenty of hotels near White Sands National Park. The closest White Sands National Park hotels are in Alamogordo, NM. Lodging in Alamogordo ranges from home rentals to small hotels to nationwide hotels near White Sands National Park. Las Cruces hotels are going to be almost an hour drive from White Sands, but if all the hotels near White Sands National Park are booked, those wouldn’t be a bad option.
Camping Near White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park camping options are limited. Primitive backcountry camping at White Sands National Park used to be an option, but that has been closed for a while. The closest state park camping near White Sands National Park is Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, which is where we camped. Other White Sands National Park camping options include Alamogordo/White Sands KOA, Sleepy Grass Campground, Deerhead Campground, Aguirre Spring Campground, and Las Cruces KOA Journey.
When is the Best Time to Visit White Sands National Park?
While the gypsum sand at White Sands National Park New Mexico doesn’t actually get hot like other sand, we still think summer is probably not the best time to go to White Sands National Park. February to March and October are all months with mild temperatures, so we think those months are the best time to visit White Sands National Park.
Tips for Visiting White Sands National Park
No White Sands National Park tickets are needed for park entrance and the $25 fee here is a bit lower than other national parks. Annual entrance to White Sands National Park can be purchased for $45. Visitors can also use the America the Beautiful National Parks annual pass for free entrance.
Bring a plastic snow sled and wax or rent one from the Visitor Center while you’re there.
Hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses are very important while in White Sands, because of how reflective the sand is. A hiking hat with a strap will shade your face well. We also wore long sleeve hiking shirts (and this women’s one) during our visit and tried to sit in the shade of the dunes a bit too.
If you’re going to hike one of the dune trails, you’ll want to bring plenty of water. Water is only available at the White Sands National Park Visitor Center so you’ll want something with plenty of water storage like these hydration backpacks (and kids hydration backpack) or insulated metal Yeti and Camelbak water bottles.
Plan to be out of cell signal while inside the park.
If this is your first national park visit, check out this post for some helpful tips.
What To Do At White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park Sledding
Just about all the White Sands National Park reviews mention sledding. This is such a unique and fun thing to do in a national park! It’s almost like White Sands National Park New Mexico is one giant sand playground! We highly recommend bringing a sled to White Sands, whether you’re visiting with kids or not.
Dunes Drive
While there isn’t a lot of roadway inside White Sands National Park, Dunes Drive is pretty scenic. Over the 8 mile road, you’ll drive alongside untouched dunes, since there are limited areas to pull over and park.
White Sands National Park Hikes
Hiking is one of the most best things to do in White Sands National Park to get alone in nature and photograph the dunes. White Sands National Park has 4 designated hiking trails in the park. The two shorter trails are the Dune Life Nature Trail and the Playa Trail. White Sands National Park Dune Life Nature Trail is a 1 mile loop trail with examples of native plant life in the park. The short Playa Trail leads to a playa, a usually dry lakebed. Educational panels are located along the trail.
The two longer White Sands National Park hikes are the 2 mile Backcountry loop trail (2-3 hours) and the 5 mile Alkali Flat trail (3-5 hours, not a flat trail). Visitors who like to be alone in nature will find these trails to be some of the best White Sands National Park things to do.
Keep in mind that hiking the sand dunes will take you longer than other hikes of the same length.
While you might feel a little nervous about hiking in White Sands National Park where there’s no obvious trail, don’t be nervous! Each of White Sands National Park’s hikes have trail marker posts that are very easy to spot in the sea of white sand. As you reach each trail marker, you’ll be able to spot the next one (and maybe even the one after that), so you don’t have to worry about getting lost.
Sand Play
White Sands National Park sledding might be very popular, but it’s not the only way you can have fun in the sand! The park service warns visitors against digging deep holes, because the gypsum sand collapses easily.
Interdune Boardwalk
A lot of White Sands National Park reviews also mention walking the accessible Interdune Boardwalk, but it’s been closed for months. It’s such a bummer that one of the best things to do in White Sands National Park has had such a long closure! But that’s the nature of sand dunes. The wind moves them around and they cover things.
White Sands National Park Nature Trail
I listed this native plant filled trail under the best White Sands National Park hikes, but since hiking wasn’t on our personal White Sands National Park itinerary, I wanted to mention it separately. This is a great trail for families who want to see more of the plant life in the park, as there aren’t very many plants at the end of the park road where White Sands National Park sledding is so popular.
White Sands National Park Sunset
Watching the sunset at White Sands National Park is a beautiful way to end the day. We loved watching the sun tuck behind the mountains near White Sands National Park during our visit. Be aware of park closing time when planning your White Sands National Park sunset viewing.
Sunset Ranger-Guided Hike
Join a park ranger for a free guided hike timed at sunset. This ranger program happens daily and no registration is required. Other ranger programs that happen periodically are Moonlight Hikes on full moon nights and a guided hike to dry lake bed Lake Lucero that happens monthly during the cooler months of the year. Attending a ranger program is one of best things to do in White Sands National Park.
White Sands National Park Visitor Center
While the exhibit area of the Visitor Center isn’t large, it’s worth a stop. Watch the park movie, ask the rangers for a map, and fill up your water bottles, as this is the only location you can get water in the park.
Best Things To Do Near White Sands National Park
Now that you know what to do in White Sands National Park, here are some things to do nearby.
PistachioLand – It’s a bit of a tourist trap, as it’s mostly one gigantic gift shop, but the giant pistachio, the flavored pistachio samples, the house-made pistachio ice cream, and the pistachio farm tour made it worth a stop in my book.
New Mexico Museum of Space History – Tour the exhibits and learn how White Sands National Park has played an important role in space history.
White Sands Missile Range Museum – Located on the military base, so a visitor’s pass is required to enter. We did not have time for this during our trip, but I’ve heard that getting base access can be time consuming.
Dog Canyon Trail – A popular rocky hike up to a plateau.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park – Tour one of the largest caves in the United States. The drive from White Sands National Park to Carlsbad National Park takes about 3.5 hours. From the White Sands National Park reviews we’ve seen, a lot of people visit both parks in the same road trip.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park – Located just a short drive from Carlsbad Caverns, so you can hit both of these national parks in a single trip.
Albuquerque – The drive from Albuquerque to White Sands National Park is 3.5 hours, so you can easily pair a visit to White Sands with a few days in Albuquerque as well. There’s tons to do here, from the International Balloon Museum to a fantastic zoo to Petroglyph National Monument. It’s well worth the drive!
1 Day White Sands National Park Itinerary
Here’s what to do at White Sands National Park to fill the perfect 1 day itinerary. Start at the Visitor Center. Then take Dunes Drive, stopping at the Nature Trail if you’d like. When you reach the parking area, look for a nice sloped dune for sledding and have a blast! You’ll want to spend a lot of time at White Sands National Park sledding, so bring along a packed picnic lunch to eat at one of the shaded picnic shelters. If you have time, finish the day with the sunset ranger-guided hike.
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Things To Do in White Sands National Park New Mexico
