White Sands National Park
I had high expectations on the drive to White Sands. I dreamt of the park many times. It’s surprising how dull of an area White Sands is located in, for New Mexico standards. This drive from Albuquerque is not the best in the state, but passing the White Sands Missile Range where the world’s first Nuclear weapon was detonated at the Trinity Site is fascinating, along with the Carrizozo lava flow along 380 and the surrounding mountains.
My first visit was on an overcast day so the white sands did not beam and shimmer quite like I had imagined, but even then, a pair of sunglasses was barely enough to cut the glare. The dunes were more of an eggshell white than the polar white I had expected, but they are nonetheless remarkable.
White Sands is large. It’s an enormous swath of gypsum sand that does not occur in many places on earth. Gypsum easily dissolves in water and is usually washed away when exposed at the surface of the Earth, but the rain that falls on this area does not leave it. Lake Lucero, a lake that is dry most of the time, is a dead end for any water in this area. The water evaporates and leaves behind any gypsum it dissolved, allowing the wind to blow it back to dunes from which it came. Everyone will tell you the dune field is large, but I was still not prepared for the vastness. They warn you to stay vigilant of where you walk because straying too far from a visual marker will leave you in a sea of white sand. Every direction for miles is purely white sand with an occasional sprig of vegetation. It is quite disorienting. This is the case with all sand dunes. Be careful of where you walk, and always keep in mind how to get back.
Driving down the road that takes you through the dunes is interesting. White sand shows up around the car, and soon the road is covered in it. They plow the road as if the sand were snow, since it’s constantly blowing and shifting, and it even looks like snow. If you didn’t know better you would think it was the dead of winter, but you could easily open the window to one hundred degree temperatures. It’s remarkable.
TIPS
WHITE DESERT DUNES
Bring plenty of sunscreen and water. The sand reflects sunlight like a mirror. You will get burnt and dehydrated very quickly, especially running and playing in the sand. Also, pay attention to where you are walking. It is very easy to get disoriented and lost on a short walk from where you parked your car. Visual waypoints are very important. Once you walk over a sand dune and down in between the next one you lose sight of the car and parking lot so take note of where the sun and mountains are with respect to your car.
SLEDDING
You can sled the dunes. Some are huge. It’s fun to run up and down the shifting sand and jump from dunes, but you can also sled down them. If you plan on doing this it may be in your interest to bring a sled. They charge a ridiculous amount at the gift shop for one of their hundreds of plastic disc sleds which you can then sell back to them afterward for next to nothing, which they then sell to the next person in line. If you have the capability, bring your own sled.
WILDLIFE
Keep an eye out for the unique wildlife that call White Sands home. Many denizens of these dunes, such as lizards and mice, have evolved to be lighter in color and appear bleached. Most creatures here are nocturnal, but tiny footprints can be spotted in the sand during the day.
PARK CLOSURES
Next door to White Sands National Park is the Holloman Air Force Base and the White Sands Missile Range. Dunes Drive, the only road in and out of the dune field closes for up to three hours during missile testing, although the visitors center remains open. Missile tests are usually announced two weeks in advance, but the Air Force base reserves the right to give the park as little as 24hrs notice. Check the White Sands website for the most accurate closure info.
https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/park-closures.htm
