White Sands National Park
Things to know before visiting White Sands NP:
- White Sands only became a National Park from National Monument status in December 2019. There are still many signs that list it as a National Monument.
- Make sure to bring eye protection and masks to protect your face from sand. We used sunglasses and covid face masks. The winds can gust pretty fast here! Peak season for winds is spring, but we were here in January and still felt the high winds.
- There is not much in terms of hiking here, just a few short trails described below. We spent most of our day here taking photos and sledding.
We spent a day at White Sands NP on our West Texas road trip where we visited 4 national parks in one week. Follow along with our stops with a map of White Sands NP
- Stops along our 1 Day Itinerary:
Stop 1: Gift Shop to rent sleds
Make sure to stop by the visitor center, which is located just prior to the ticketed ranger stop to enter White Sands NP to buy a sled at the gift shop. This was our favorite activity of the day! Used sleds are $15.99 (with $4 buy back once returned to the gift shop) for a grand total of $11.99. New sleds are $19.99. Don’t forget wax as well (available for $2 at the gift shop).
Stop 2: Playa Trail – 0.5 mi, easy
This short trail brings you to a shallow depression that fills with rainwater from storms. If you’re lucky you’ll get to see it filled with water. For most of the year, it is a dry lakebed. The playa changes color throughout the year as well depending on rainfall. There wasn’t much to see on this trail, but we got some cool photos of the playa.
Stop 3: Dune Life Trail – 1 mi, moderate
This trail was our first exposure to the high winds at White Sand NP. Although the elevation gains are minimal, you will be climbing up sand dunes here. The sand takes more calories to climb up than solid ground.
The trail takes you along 14 signs that describe the wildlife that live at White Sands NP. Most of the wildlife is nocturnal, so don’t expect to see active wildlife during the day.
Stop 4: Interdune Boardwalk – 0.4 mi, easy
This is an elevated boardwalks that takes you along a few exhibits describing the plant life that call White Sands NP home. The signs were visibly worn, and the trail itself wasn’t too exciting. We thought it would lead up to a nice viewpoint, but it was more of the similar environment.
As you drive further along the main road after this trail, this is where the road shifts from a paved road to a sand road, and the views get more exciting! The sand dunes here are not covered with plants, which means more opportunities for beautiful photos. There are a couple of picnic tables here as well as an amphitheater, which previously held event pre-covid.
Stop 5: Sledding on the Alkali Flats Trail
We stopped for some photos and lunch along the way, but eventually ended up at the Alkali Flats Trail. We didn’t do the trail itself as it is a 5 mi hike through the sand dunes without a scenic viewpoint at the end. Instead, we forged our own way through the sand dunes and had fun sledding. By this time of day, it was mid-afternoon and the winds significantly picked up. Our sled nearly blew away a few times! We also took some great photos here!
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