Sites in New Mexico
NPS Units
Aztec Ruins
Bandelier
Capulin Volcano
Carlsbad Caverns
Chaco Culture
El Malpais
Gila Cliff Dwellings
White Sands
Other Places
Angel Peak
Bisti Badlands
Cimarron Canyon
City of Rocks
Jemez Mountains
Kasha-Katuwe
Living Desert
Navajo Lake
Rock Hound
Route 66
Santa Fe
Santa Fe to Roswell
Shiprock
Valley of Fires
Wild Rivers
New Mexico Site Map
Site Search
Photograph Search
|
|
|
West of Alamogordo, a vast area of desert and mountain ranges 100 by 40 miles in extent is closed to public access and used by the military for various kinds of weapons testing; this includes the Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was detonated, in July 1945. Determined tourists may visit on 2 days each year, the first Saturdays of April and October, when accompanied tours are provided. The only other feature of interest in this otherwise desolate and unwelcoming land is 60 miles south in the flat Tularosa Basin - here, for thousands of years the prevailing westerly winds have deposited gypsum powder - formerly eroded from the nearby San Andres Mountains, washed down by rainwater and deposited in the seasonal Lake Lucero, a few miles southwest - creating a huge area of white dunes covering 275 square miles. About half of the sands are within the boundaries of the White Sands National Monument, one of the most unusual and magical places in the Southwest.
White Sands Map:
 PDF format map of White Sands National Monument, from the National Park Service (184 kb).
Military Bases: The national monument is entirely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range; just east is the Holloman Air Force Base, and a few miles north is one of the space shuttle landing sites. The space theme is reflected in the nearby town of Alamogordo, where there is the International Space Hall of Fame and Space Theater. The dunes extend north into the missile range.
Approach: The main road past White Sands National Monument is US 70; this (and the dunes) is closed to all traffic for a few hours once or twice a week as test missiles are fired overhead. A paved road leads from the visitor center at the monument entrance on US 70 to the start of the sands 2 miles north. The edge dunes are just a few meters high and support some plant life, with various species of grass, yucca and saltbush managing to survive at scattered points. Further into the monument there is little or no vegetation, just unbroken white landscape. The road is paved for a while although blowing sand often covers the surface; towards the centre though, the surface is just compacted gypsum, and the 'road' becomes a series of large cleared areas, which can be adapted to changes in dune position - they move by up to 20 feet per year. In this surreal environment, everything is white, dazzlingly bright and intensely hot in summer, capped on most days by a clear blue sky.
Sunset: Walking through the dunes is an unforgettable experience; often there are no other footprints ahead, just wind-created ripples and occasional lizard tracks. When daylight begins to fade after a sunny day, the sands take on a reddish-pink hue, and the surface patterns become more pronounced as the shadows lengthen. An overwhelming sense of peace and stillness descends, and when the sun finally dips below the distant San Andres Mountains, for a few minutes the land is bathed in a mysterious light, as the sands themselves seem to glow while the horizon on all sides becomes dark. If experience is a guide, though, this magical moment is difficult to photograph effectively.
Wildlife: The dunes support a limited range of wildlife, some of which has evolved white colouration to match the surroundings, and exist as species unique to this region, such as a species of mouse, the white sands prairie lizard and the bleached earless lizard.
Camping: There are two signposted nature trails (The Big Dune Trail and The Interdune Boardwalk) near the edge of the dunes where a few plants and bushes can survive, although walking is allowed anywhere within the national monument. There are no camping facilities apart from primitive sites in the dunes, well away from the main road. The closest accommodation is in Alamogordo, 14 miles east, while the nearest free camping is in the Lincoln National Forest, 5 miles further
east along US 82.
|
|
|
Hotels: The nearest hotel to the national monument (14 miles away) is Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Alamogordo - a beautiful, relatively new property just east of the junction of highways US 70 and US 54. The inn offers 80 rooms & suites on 3 floors, and has all the expected facilities including an indoor pool/whirlpool, health & fitness center, business center, meeting room, guest laundry and free breakfast bar, but it earns a reputation as the best hotel in Alamogordo on account of the quiet location, friendly staff, reasonable rates and excellent standard of cleanliness.
Check rates at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Alamogordo
Other nearby hotels: Alamogordo, Las Cruces - follow the links for descriptions, reservations and location maps. |
|
|
Satellite Photo/Map: View above the end of the scenic drive in White Sands National Monument:
|
