White Sands National Park, New Mexico
ADOBE STOCK
NEW MEXICO
White Sands National Park
By Maria Lennart
It’s not snow; it’s not sugar; it’s the glistening gypsum dunes of White Sands National Park. Covering 275 square miles in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, this desert marvel is the remains of gypsum deposits, a sulfate mineral that once covered the bottom of a prehistoric seabed some 250 to 280 million years ago. Eons of wind, rain and geologic upheavals worked to fashion this extremely rare dunefield, by far the most extensive in the world.
A woman walking along the sand dunes at White Sands National Park
While the dunes are fascinating to simply gaze upon, park visitors find a myriad of ways (including sledding!) to immerse themselves in this other-worldly landscape located off Highway US-70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces. Dunes Drive offers an 8-mile scenic drive on paved and gypsum-packed roadway, with viewing areas, wayside exhibits and picnic spots on the way. Along with five established hiking trails, park rangers lead activities that include Sunset Strolls and Moonlight Hikes. Full Moon Nights are not hikes but occur on the same evenings as Moonlight Hikes and feature live music and cultural programs.
Sunset at White Sands National Park
Plan a trip to White Sands National Park by contacting a knowledgeable AAA Travel Agent.
Click to read: How to Visit Niagara Falls
