White Sands National Park is located in southern New Mexico and is home to the world’s largest gypsum fields. The scenery here is unique and parts of this park can look like it’s another planet. It’s a fun place to explore for a few hours.
Unlike some national parks, the list of things to do at White Sands National Park is short. There’s still some fun things to do, but your to do list won’t be as massive as some other national parks.
Things to Do at White Sands National Park
Often I’ll introduce a list and state that this is not an exhaustive list of things to do at White Sands National Park. This list is different and covers all of the highlights of this park.
Dune Life Nature Trail
As you enter White Sands National Park, one of the first hikes you’ll come to is the Dune Life Nature Trail. It’s a hike that I recommend doing early in your visit. That’s not because it’s the best hike, but because there are other, better hikes to do at White Sands National Park.
My mom and I hiked this trail as my first activity at White Sands National Park. It was nice, but I’m glad I did it early. As we left the park, we both agreed that this trail would have been more disappointing had we done it later in our visit.
The bottom line is that the Dune Life Nature Trail is a good introduction to White Sands National Park, but you can expect the scenery to get even better as you explore the park.
The Dune Life Nature Trail weaves you around the sand dunes with informational signs along the way describing the vegetation and animal life out here.
I logged 1.1 miles across a mostly flat trail. It took a half hour, including stops for pictures. While mostly flat, you will be walking on sand, so this slows down your pace.
Interdune Boardwalk
This is a short trail and while not the most interesting, it’s quick and easy. This trail is 0.5 miles and is on a boardwalk, so you don’t have to walk across the uneven and unstable sand to get some views. These views aren’t my favorite in the park, but because it’s so easy, it can be worth the quick stop.
Playa Trail
If there’s any trail that I recommend skipping, it’s this trail. It’s a short, flat trail but it’s not very interesting, especially compared to other trails at White Sands National Park. On this trail, you’ll walk out to the sand basin and quite frankly, I was not very impressed.
The trail is 0.4 miles and takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk.
Scenic Drive
There’s a short scenic drive toward the back of the park. As you drive, you’ll eventually run out of pavement and be driving on packed sand. At this point, you’ll be at the start of the scenic drive.
The scenic drive is about six miles and takes about twenty minutes to drive. This was a highlight for me and I think it’s one of the best things to do at White Sands National Park. On the scenic drive, you leave a lot of the vegetation behind and you find yourself surrounded by bright white sand dunes. When I envisioned touring White Sands National Park, this is what I pictured.
There are several pullovers along the way for you to get out and take pictures. Climb on the sand dunes and laugh as you struggle to climb them (one step forward and a half step backwards… ha ha).
Although the scenic drive is not paved, most cars can handle it. We had a tiny Nissan Versa and had no problems with this drive.
Backcountry Trail
In my opinion, the Backcountry Trail is the best thing to do at White Sands National Park. This trail leads to the various campsites across the dunes. It can be tiring hiking out here as you’re climbing up and down the sand dunes, but you’re rewarded with incredible, sweeping views of the sand dunes.
We were here early, on a very cold morning, so we had the trail to ourselves. This solitude added to the experience.
If you are going to do this hike, make sure to have a map. We followed the route using AllTrails, which was incredibly helpful.
The route is sign posted, but several of the sign posts had blown over in the wind so there were several times we wouldn’t have known where to go without a map. If don’t have a map and don’t see the next sign post, turn around and retrace your steps. It’s incredibly easy to lose your place out in the dune field.
I logged 1.8 miles and 10 feet of elevation gain (although it definitely felt like much more than ten feet!). It took us 45 minutes to hike this trail, including our stops for pictures.
Alkali Flat Trail
We didn’t do this trail, but I want to mention it anyway. This is a longer trail that will take you out into the dune field. The trail is 4.7 miles, which can be a long time to walk on sand. Because of this, we skipped the Alkali Flat Trail and did the Backcountry Trail instead. I have no regrets, especially since by the last quarter mile of the Backcountry Trail, it started to feel monotonous, so I’d imagine 4.7 miles would feel very long winded.
Go Sand Sledding
We skipped this because of time, but you can go sand sledding here. If you’re traveling with kids (or are a big kid at heart), this may be the best thing to do at White Sands National Park.
You can buy a board at the gift shop and return it when you’re finished (although you won’t get your money back, so think of this as a rental instead of a purchase). Once you have your board, head out to the dune field and have fun.
While we didn’t do this activity at White Sands, I did go sand boarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. The dunes at White Sands National Park are smaller, but I definitely still saw plenty of people having fun riding on down the dunes. If you’ve never tried it, here’s a place you can do it.
Learn more (including the best spots to sled) from the NPS website.
Take a Ranger Tour
There were no ranger tours being offered when we visited, but I’ve read good things about the sunset stroll. If this is something you’re interested in, check out the NPS website for more information.
The Best of White Sands National Park
If I had to choose, I’d say the two best things to do at White Sands National Park are the scenic drive and the Backcountry Trail. These activities really show the unique landscape of this park and I couldn’t get enough of it.
Planning Your Time at White Sands National Park
Start at the front of the park and work your way back. The views get better the further back in the park you get. If you wait to circle back to the Dune Nature Trail or the Interdune Boardwalk after doing the scenic drive, you may be disappointed with the views.
How Long Do You Need at White Sands National Park
With one day, you can cover all of the best things to do at White Sands National Park. Yes, that means everything on this list.
My trip was slightly different. Instead of one full day at White Sands National Park, my mom and I spent two half days here. On Day 1, we hiked the Dune Nature Trail and Interdune Boardwalk in the afternoon. Then the next day we came back to do the scenic drive and the Backcountry Trail.
What to Bring to White Sands National Park
Water – There is a place to fill up your water bottle at the Visitor Center, but once you leave the Visitor Center, there is no opportunities for water. It can get very hot in the dune field, so make sure you have plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated.
Layers – We started our visit in the afternoon and were wearing leggings and t-shirts and by the end of our hike on the Dune Nature Trail, we were sweating. The next morning, my mom and I each added an extra pair of pants and extra sweatshirt before hiking the Backcountry Trail because it was so cold and windy.
Snacks – You can get a few things at the visitor center, but it’s a better idea to bring your own snacks.
Sunscreen – The sun can be intense. Protect yourself.
A Plastic Bag – This may seem unusual but hear me out. You will end up with sand everywhere. When you leave the park, take your socks off, shake them off as best as you can, and then put them in your plastic bag. Now any sand that shakes out as you continue your travels won’t get all over your suitcase. If you fall into the sand or go sand sledding, you should consider throwing more than just your socks in the bag.
When To Visit White Sands National Park
Summer temperatures can get incredibly hot, but winter can be cool as well. I’d recommend visiting in spring or fall. We visited in the middle of November. Daytime temperatures were pleasant, but it was so cold and windy in the morning that we had to add extra layers just to stay warm.
Where to Stay
The nearest town is Alamogordo, NM. Plan for 20 minutes to drive between Alamogordo and White Sands National Park.
Final Thoughts
While there may be fewer things to do at White Sands National Park, there are still some fun and interesting things to do. If you only have one day, you’ll still be able to enjoy White Sands National Park and its other worldly scenery.
Continue Your Adventure
New Mexico: Also in New Mexico, and only a three hour drive from White Sands National Park, is Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Texas: Just a short drive from Carlsbad Caverns is Guadalupe Mountains National Park, where you’ll find Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas.
Itineraries: In one five day road trip, you can visit White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks.
Similar National Parks: If you’re interested in dunes, consider Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado or Indiana Dunes National Park in Indiana.