White Sands National Park

Attracting people for over 10,000 years, Spanish explorers and miners came to the basin in pursuit of resources like salt and gypsum and ranchers capitalized on the basin’s expansive grasslands.

The Flora And Fauna

Despite harsh environmental conditions, even for a desert, 800 species of animals survive and thrive within the park. Although it can seem desolate, in reality, it’s a place of complex, interconnected ecosystems, where even the soil brims with life, thanks to tiny cyanobacterium, which layer themselves into a woven mat atop the soil’s surface in the areas between dunes.

Here you can walk in the footsteps of giant sloths, Columbian mammoths and dire wolves, who once traversed the muddy banks of Lake Otero, leaving behind footprints made of gypsum crystals, dolomite and sand. See them preserved in the sediments of Alkali Flat.

Birders will appreciate the 220 bird species that call the park home, including wrens, mockingbirds, ravens and larks. The White Sands pupfish — the only fish in the park — is joined by frogs, toads and salamanders, as well

145,762 as foxes, bobcats, coyotes, badgers and porcupines.

From cacti and succulents to grasslands, wildflowers, trees and shrubs, plant life has also adapted to the environment and constantly shifting landscape. Look for everything from thorny cane cholla to lechuguilla, a type of agave; spiny ocotillo; blueishgreen bluish-green little blue stem; and creosote bushes, which become fragrant after it rains. In short, wonders can be found at every turn — just take the time to look closely.

The Weather

During the summer months —

June through August — daytime temperatures average 95 F, though they can easily soar to 110 F. Temperatures from September through November are much more moderate, averaging a high of 80 F and a low of 65 F. Not surprisingly, winters are cool — especially at night, when temps dip to an average 23 F — while spring is cool, comfortable and pleasant.

White Sands also manages a network of weather stations throughout the park that monitor weather conditions. Follow weather and road conditions on the park’s website.

THE HIKES, DRIVES AND VIEWPOINTS

Alkali Flat Trail

The name of the strenuous, 4.7-mile Alkali Flat Trail is deceptive — it’s far from flat, skirting the edge of the final remnants of Lake Otero, up and down sand dunes.

Dune Life Nature Trail Loop

Check out the 1-mile Dune Life Nature Trail loop, a hike during which you climb two steep dunes with loose sand. Since winds are constantly blowing and shifting the sand, a standard trail is impossible, so three-foot-high trail markers guide your way. Standing at any marker, you should be able to see one or more in the distance. If you don’t see markers, turn back or risk getting lost amid the endless sand.

White Sands Backcountry Trail

The lollipop-style White Sands Backcountry Trail takes you 1.8 miles through snow-white gypsum dunes. Strong winds, particularly in the spring, can reduce visibility to mere feet, in which case it’s easy to become lost in the ever-changing dune landscape. Do not proceed if you cannot see the trail marker ahead.

About The Park