White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico protects 275 square miles of glistening gypsum dunes — the largest dunefield of their kind in the world. The dunes, blindingly white even under overcast skies, rise up to 60 feet in height and shift constantly on prevailing southwest winds, burying and exposing plants in a slow-motion tide. Visitors can walk across the dunes on five established trails ranging from a half-mile Interdune Boardwalk to the 5-mile Alkali Flat Trail that ventures deep into the heart of the dunefield, away from road noise and crowds. The Dune Life Nature Trail (1 mile loop) introduces the unique ecosystem, where plants like Rio Grande cottonwood and soaptree yucca anchor themselves against blowing sand with extraordinarily long root systems. Rangers lead free guided walks most mornings when conditions permit, departing from the visitor center. The most popular activity is sledding down the dunes on plastic sleds, which can be rented or purchased at the visitor center gift shop for $15 to $22. The visitor center displays exhibits on dune geology, the White Sands Missile Range history, and the astronomy program that turns the park into a Dark Sky observatory after dusk. Photographers prize the park for the extreme contrast between blue sky and pure white sand; the best vantage points for sunset photography are the Dune Life parking area and the Interdune Boardwalk, which offers wheelchair-accessible views across a gypsum flat. Sunrise is quieter and early light turns the dunes pale gold before the midday bleach. US-70, the only road through the park, closes periodically for 30 to 90 minutes during White Sands Missile Range test activity, which can delay or block access without warning. The park lies 15 miles southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico.