White Sands National Park

There are only so many destinations you can reasonably drive to in one day from Big Bend NP. White Sands NP, in south-central New Mexico, looked doable (under 400 miles) and was certainly worth a visit. While visiting, we boondocked just 4 miles away from the park on property that Holloman Air Force Base allows.

It was not a bad place to spend the work week! The sky was absolutely amazing every night. Unfortunately, you can’t have any contact with the lake since it’s toxic; and sadly, there were a lot of ducks there that can’t read the posted signs.

White Sands NP protects the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. Gypsum dunes are cooler and firmer than other types and are apparently great for sledding. It is a common mineral used in a variety of things, but primarily drywall.

White Sands was a National Monument from 1933 until 2019 when it was redesignated as a National Park. One reason for the redesignation was the discovery of the oldest fossilized footprints (of Ice Age humans and animals) in North America.

There is only one road through the park, the 8-mile scenic Dunes Drive. The sand is hardpacked and any vehicle can handle it. We saw so many RVs of all types driving through.

There are picnic areas and a handful of short hiking trails along the drive. One afternoon we hiked part of the Alkali Trail and watched the sunset.

We would love to continue exploring New Mexico, but January is not the month to do that, as it is way too cold. The week we were there was warmer than usual.

We spent the following weekend driving to the red rock country of Sedona, AZ!