How To Wander White Sands National Park In Two Hours
Welcome! I’m Kirsti Out Wandering, and I’m a big fan of exploring new places by taking long drives. There’s something so exhilarating about hitting the open road and seeing where it takes you. I love discovering hidden gems and having new adventures.
Exploring the world around us can bring about a sense of wonder and curiosity. For me, walking, playing, and resting on the sand are some of my favorite pastimes (cue “Escape” by Rupert Homes).
In my travels, I am drawn to sand and surf. Over the years, I’ve gotten to explore the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado (once during a red flag warning when the high winds whipped up the sand so much that I couldn’t even see the dunes) to tobogganing on the Warren Dunes in Michigan.
I’ve felt the high winds of a hurricane located just off the coast along the beach at the outer banks of North Carolina, watched beautiful sunsets along the beaches of Highway One in California and blissfully walked along the shores of many other sandy beaches from Costa Rica to the UP of Michigan.
Jack Kerouac
“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.”
On my recent 4,500-mile adventure to Phoenix, AZ and back, I made sure to make the most of my journey by picking out some interesting places along the way. White Sands National Park in Southwest New Mexico is a picturesque oasis in the middle of the desert and rock and one of my favorite stops on this road trip!
During this road trip, I would only have about two hours to spend at White Sands, but for planning purposes, you should know the area is chock-full of many notable places, and a wanderer could certainly spend two or more days exploring here.
A Great Way To Spend Two Hours Or Two Days
Driving south on Highway 54 from Santa Rosa, as the sun dipped lower in the west, I was still 50 miles away from Alamogordo, the nearest city to White Sands National Park and my overnight stop. On a high point along this road, I caught a glimpse of the dunes, which presented as a curious, long white line on the horizon. My heart seriously skipped a beat in anticipation.
I only know what I know. Alamogordo, the closest town to White Sands National Park, is a beautiful city in Otero County, New Mexico, in the United States. Located in the Tularosa Basin of the Chihuahuan Desert, the Sacramento Mountains and Holloman Air Force Base surround the town of just over 31,000 people. This area is known for its great weather, making it the perfect place to grow delicious pistachios, pecans, and grapes.
I knew I would only be in this area for about 12 hours, so I created a bucket list of sorts to have a few things to see and do if time permits.
Trinity Turtle Healing Labyrinth Park. Our twelve (12) site campground is located inside Trinity Turtle Healing Labyrinth Park (TTHLP) and within walking distance of the labyrinth. TTHLP is a community health-building project of CAPPED. We are in the process of building “Trinity Turtle Healing Labyrinth Park” as part of our service to humanity. The labyrinth head of Trinity Turtle is complete and beautiful. The body and tail are under construction.
I planned to stay at the Trinity Turtle Healing Labyrinth Park, which offers 12 camping sites because, well, it was a labyrinth, and the word turtle is in their name. Overnighting here didn’t work out for me, though. I needed to have electricity for this overnight stay, and TTHLP isn’t equipped with hook-ups. Consequently, I stayed at the White Sands Manufactured Home and RV Community—not quite as utopian, but still very comfortable.
Dark Sky Map. Because I would be in the desert during a new moon, I also wanted to make photos of the Milky Way if I could. Dark Sky adjacent, I used an app called PhotoPills to determine the best time to do this. I was up and out by 4:30 AM to drive into what I thought was a higher elevation near the national park.
I didn’t have much time the night before to explore where I would shoot the Milky Way. Looking at Google Maps and the App Photo Pills, I thought driving toward White Sands National Park made the most sense. Doing anything in the dark is complicated, however, and finding the darkest place to pull off the interstate at 4:30 in the morning did not disappoint. I drove all the way to the park’s entrance, only to find the parking lot on the other side of a barricade. Feeling a bit stressed as dawn was approaching, I pulled off anyway (sometimes it’s better to ask forgiveness later). It was definitely not a dark sky either, and I wasn’t sure what would be exposed. This experience was exhilarating, however, and it absolutely primed me for the day.
McGinn’s PistachioLand is a small business in Alamogordo that is home to the world’s largest pistachio, Pistachio Tree Ranch, and Arena Blanca Winery. It has 12,300 pistachio trees and 6,000 grapevines for wine production. The McGinn family grows pistachios, produces pistachio candy, and packages pistachio products sold on their farm and throughout the United States. The farm offers daily Motorized Farm Tours from 10-4 and is open every day.
On my way to White Sands, I made a stop to see the World’s Largest Pistachio. These types of attractions are built along popular routes and in small towns across the US to catch the eye of travelers who are short on time and budget. They showcase that sometimes, bigger can indeed be better.
Plain pistachios are perfect for us nutritionally. Inside McGinn’s store, however, you will find them plain but also dipped, sauced, dried, seasoned and sprinkled with everything from chocolate to hot peppers. I bought a bag that was seasoned with lemon-lime. Mouthwateringly delicious!
WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK
White Sands National Park is one of the most beautiful places located in the northern Chihuahuan Desert near Alamogordo, New Mexico.
The White Sands National Park is home to the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The Gypsum originally came from the nearby San Andres Mountains and started flowing into the basin at the end of the last ice age, which was about 11,000 years ago.
A natural wonder, White Sands National Park has 275 square miles of white dunes, the largest gypsum dune field on the planet. It was given the status of a national monument in 1933 through a presidential proclamation and was recently elevated to a National Park in December 2019. (I love that we are still preserving landscapes, protecting habitats, and providing opportunities for recreation like this.)
It is the most popular National Park Service destination in New Mexico, with 500,000 people visiting every year. It’s best to visit from January through early March to avoid big crowds, especially if you want to make photos.
What is a gypsum dune field?
It can be hard to imagine the origin of this vast expanse of white gypsum sand from atop a dune.
To learn about the world’s largest dunes made of Gypsum, we need to go back millions of years and look at how the land and weather have changed over time.
- Around 250 million years ago, GypGypsums formed and deposited in the Permian Sea.
- Approximately 70 million years ago, tectonic forces pushed up the land and the ancient seabed containing gypsum deposits.
- Then, around 30 million years ago, the crust began pulling apart, creating the Tularosa Basin.
- Approximately 2-3 million years ago, the Ancient Rio Grande River blocked off the southern part of the basin, allowing the formation of Lake Otero.
- During 24,000-12,000 years ago, ice age conditions formed a glacier on Sierra Blanca, which led to the filling of Lake Otero with rain and snowmelt.
- Finally, around 10,000 years ago, the ice age ended, and Lake Otero dried up. As a result, dunes began to form.
Some of these changes are still happening today, which helps us see how these extraordinary dunes are formed. You can read more about this process here.
Two Hours At White Sands National Park
When I travel, I generally spend long days on the road, ticking off the miles until I get to stop at the next point of interest. Day three of this trip would include six hours of driving along one of the worst roads I’ve ever been on—Interstate 10. So, I was over the moon happy to be able to wander around the cool, white sand before hitting the road again.
After taking 30 minutes to wander around the White Sands Visitor Center and gift shop, getting a national park passport stamp, and asking a few questions about the park with a park ranger, I headed into the park to drive the full extent of the very scenic drive, stopping at various points to climb the dunes or take a short hike on the interdune boardwalk, Playa Trail and Dune Life Nature Trail.
flow experience, new circumstances, social connections, living life, flow-like state, simple things, better outcomes
I hiked to the top of one of the steep dunes to see what I could see. I was surprised to find the sand facing the east soft, and I would sink into it as I climbed. Conversely, the sand facing the west was firm and very easy to traverse.
Because the sand is made of Gypsum, it doesn’t absorb heat from the sun, so the dunes stay cool and comfortable to walk on, even on hot days.
Other Fun Things To Do At White Sands National Park
The gypsum sand dunes provide a great place for other kinds of fun things, too!
- Sledding. Bring your own sled or rent one from the park.
- Horseback riding.
- Have a picnic at one of the many picnic areas in the park.
- Be backcountry campers, sleeping on the sand under the stars.
Hiking Trails At White Sands
- The Dune Life Nature Trail is teeming with life! A one mile loop through White Sands is great for families.
- Playa Trail This short, level, family-friendly trail leads to a small playa. A playa is a low-lying area that fills with rainwater during monsoon storms. It creates an interesting ecosystem for plants and animals, changing its color and appearance throughout the season. Go for a hike and see what it looks like today!
- The Backcountry Camping Trail provides expansive views of the world’s largest gypsum dune field, highlighted by snow-white gypsum dunes.
- Just off the main road, scenic views of the dune field and Sacramento mountains can be seen from the Interdune Boardwalk, an elevated boardwalk through the fragile Interdune area.
- Enjoy the breathtaking views of the endless dunes with few footprints. On the Alkali Flat Trail, you journey through the sands, traversing steep dunes and ending at Alkali Flat.
Fun Facts About White Sands National Park
Some of the significant dates in the history of the dunes include:
- 1898-The town of Alamogordo established
- 1912-New Mexico becomes a state
- 1932-Prehistoric tracks first discovered at White Sands
- 1935-First asphalt road into the dunes was completed; the first annual “Play Day” was held in the dunes
- 1938-Visitor center and museum opened
- 1942-President Roosevelt signs an order establishing a large military land presence around the monument
- 1945-First atomic bomb tested at Trinity Site, 60 miles north of the monument
- 1950s-Nature and hiking trails constructed
- 2021 Oldest human Fossilized footprint is set at 23,000 to 21,000 years old
In 1993, the White Sands National Park in New Mexico served as the backdrop for The Scorpions’ “Under the Same Sun” music video and documentary, as well as The Desert is No Lady.
These other music videos have also been filmed at White Sands.
- “The End” by Pink Floyd (1994)
- “Water Runs Dry” by Boyz II Men (1995)
- “Kisses Don’t Lie” by George Ducas (1995)
- “All Because of You” by Daryl Singletary (1996)
- “Best Friend” by Puff Daddy (1999)
Some Of The Movies Filmed at White Sands
- King Solomon’s Mines 1950 MGM
- Hang ‘Em High 1968 United Artists
- Scandalous John 1970 Disney
- The Man Who Fell to Earth 1975 EMI
- Convoy 1977 United Artists
- Young Guns II 1990 Morgan Creek
- Mad Love 1994 Disney
- Astronaut Farmer 2005 Warner Independent
- Transformers 2006 Dreamworks, LLC
- Transformers 2 2008 Dreamworks, LLC
- Year One 2008 Sony Pictures
- The Men Who Stare at Goat 2008 Staring Goats, LLC
- Stargate Universe 2009 MGM
It's Time To Go
Experience the otherworldly wonder of White Sands, one of the most unique national parks in the United States. Hike through the breathtaking landscapes, discover fascinating history, stargaze under the vast open skies, or let loose and play in the sand.
With its compact size, you can explore the entire park in just one day or even two hours. Just remember to come well-prepared with sunscreen, plenty of water, and a hat, and let the magic of White Sands unfold before you.
Learn more about this park by visiting the White Sands National Park website.
The National Park Service manages 61 national parks, of which 14 are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and 30 have been designated Biosphere Reserves.
You can add all or some of the following U.S. National Parks to your ultimate travel bucket list. Isn’t this exciting?
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Welcome! I’m Kirsti, and for my whole life, I’ve been curious to know more. As I journey forward, exploring the world around me, I often encounter new and fascinating experiences. Whether it’s a stunning natural landscape, a bustling city street, or a quaint village tucked away in the countryside, there’s always something to discover and appreciate along the way. |
From the perspective of a curious wanderer, I value potential over the obvious. Exploring the world with an open mind and heart has led me to some of the most incredible adventures one can imagine. I am eager to share them with you. |
Follow along! Kirsti Out Wandering aspires to illustrate well-being in mind, body & spirit, giving unconditional love to self and others, and pursuing all of the wild possibilities life serves up while living full-time from a sprinter van.
She offers weekly inspiration and a monthly roundup filled with stories and tips on travel, exploring, van living, self-care, photography and being human.