White Sands in New Mexico was beautiful. It was like being at the beach minus the ocean. The dunes looked like waves, and families came for the day to BBQ and let the kids play in the sand. We share weather information, tips, and photos so you can see what White Sands is all about. Don’t have time to read this now? Pin it for later!

White Sands New Mexico

The fine white sand (gypsum) shimmered in the sunlight. White Sands is the largest gypsum dunefield in the world covering 275 square miles. It was declared a national monument by President Herbert Hoover in 1933.

These dunes were like being at the beach but also the snow. When you walked down the large dunes the sand ran down like an avalanche. You can bring a sled, the waxed plastic snow saucers work best and slide down the dunes. You can also purchase a sled at the park gift shop but NPS recommends calling to confirm availability before you get to the park. More sledding information can be found here on the NPS website.

The sand was cool due to the shallow water table and it felt so good to run your bare feet through it. Exhausted or hot from your hike? Find a shaded section of one of the large dunes and get comfortable. Take off your shoes and bury your feet in the cool sand. It feels delightful. We loved walking down the shady sides of these large dunes with no shoes. It was almost like you were floating down. Take a look at the videos below to see what we are talking about.

Weather

We visited White Sands during the middle of March and the weather was beautiful! Shorts and t-shirts during the day while hiking and long sleeves once the sun started to go down. We recommend a visit in March before it starts to get hot.

Tips

• Pack a picnic lunch

  • There are awesome covered picnic tables with BBQs at White Sands

• Attend the Sunset Stroll Ranger Talk

  • We love Ranger Talks because we learn a lot and they are fun

  • This one is no exception but the sunset at the end is beautiful!

  • More details can be found here at the NPS website

• Bring a sled

  • We didn’t bring one as we were more focused on hiking but once we got there I was wishing we had one but I wasn’t going to pay the gift shop prices

  • Check the Walmart or K-Mart in Alamogordo for waxed plastic snow saucers

• Stay at Desert Paradise Mobile Home & RV Park

  • This RV park was close to White Sands and easily accessible

  • The park is self-registering so pull up to the board, check which sites are available, pricing, and payment instructions.

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UPDATED 1/23/2020: White Sands is now a National Park!

White Sands New Mexico Photo Gallery

White Sands New Mexico Videos