Acreage: 143,733.25
Category: National Monument
Date Established:
01/18/1933
Found in the New Mexico, within the desert of the Tularosa Basin, the White Sands National Monument is a wonder of the American Southwest.
The monument preserves a portion of the largest gypsum dune field in the world, and protects the plants and animals that thrive there. The area supports desert life like the Yucca plant and the Bleached Earless Lizard. The spectacular white sand dunes sparkle in the sun, and one very popular visitor activity is to slide down the dunes on plastic sleds! At night, visitors can also take advantage of public astronomy programs and lie on the sand to gaze at the stars.
—Caroline Griffith
If You Go
The National Park Service offers Moonlight Bicycle Rides across the dunes in the spring and fall. Advance registration is required and they can be hard to get into, but the experience is fabulous. Contact rangers at White Sands National Monument directly for details before you go!
In addition, areas of the park are closed occasionally when missile tests are conducted at the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. Contact the park the day before arriving to check on closures by calling 575.679.2599.
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