White dunes in foreground with sun setting behind mountain.
Sunsets are one of the most popular times to visit White Sands. Visitors can experience sunset every day of the year. NPS Photo

White Sands National Park

National Park · New Mexico · National Park Service

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.

Plan your visit

Trails & hiking

Biking · Hiking

Camping

Camping · Backcountry Camping

Site types & reservations: see the official site.

Know before you go

Phone
5754796124
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

Things to do

Highlights: Architecture and Building · Animals · Birds · Fish · Dunes · Fossils and Paleontology · Geology · Groundwater

Activities & features: Auto and ATV · Scenic Driving · Road Biking · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Junior Ranger Program

Photos

  • Aerial of white sand dunes.
    NPS Photo
  • Close up view of ripples on a dune.
    NPS Photo
  • Cottonwood trees with orange leaves.
    NPS Photo
  • Grey shadows on dunes.
    NPS Photo

Nearby parks

Parks of New Mexico

Sumner Lake State ParkCaballo Lake State ParkRockhound State ParkEl Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic TrailBrantley Lake State ParkEl Malpais National MonumentNavajo Lake State ParkStorrie Lake State ParkAztec Ruins National MonumentPancho Villa State ParkElephant Butte Lake State ParkFort Union National MonumentManhattan Project National Historical ParkCity of Rocks State ParkOliver Lee Memorial State ParkChaco Culture National Historical ParkBluewater Lake State ParkValles Caldera National PreserveBandelier National MonumentUte Lake State ParkBottomless Lakes State ParkClayton Lake State Park & Dinosaur TrackwaysCapulin Volcano National MonumentPetroglyph National MonumentSanta Rosa Lake State ParkPecos National Historical ParkSalinas Pueblo Missions National MonumentMorphy Lake State ParkEl Vado Lake State ParkCarlsbad Caverns National ParkVillanueva State ParkPercha Dam State ParkCimarron Canyon State ParkConchas Lake State ParkEl Morro National MonumentManzano Mountains State ParkOasis State ParkFenton Lake State ParkPecos Canyon State ParkLeasburg Dam State ParkSugarite Canyon State ParkCoyote Creek State ParkHeron Lake State ParkHyde Memorial State ParkGila Cliff Dwellings National MonumentEagle Nest Lake State ParkCerrillos Hills State Park

48 parks mapped in New Mexico

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Guides for the trip

All guides →

Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12