White Sands National Park
National Park · NM
Park Closure · Dunes Drive Safety Corridor
Dunes Drive is open. A safety corridor is in effect between mile marker 3 and 5.5 along Dunes Drive. Visitors may drive but not stop or exit their vehicle in this area.
More information4 noticesfrom the National Park Service
Information · Backcountry Camping Closed
Backcountry camping at the park is closed. There is no established opening date at this time.
Information · Interdune Boardwalk Closed
Due to the active safety corridor, the Interdune Boardwalk is closed. Please visit the park visitor center to learn about other options during your visit.
Information · Park Closures
From time to time the missile range that surrounds the park performs military testing that may require the closure of the park or Highway 70. Please plan your visit around upcoming military tests.
More informationInformation · RV and Tractor Trailer Parking at the Visitor Center
There is limited space for parking for recreational vehicles and trailers in the parking lot directly in front (south) of the visitor center. RVs are asked to not park in the lot behind the visitor center. There is no parking space for tractor trailers.
Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.
- NPS site
- nps.gov/whsa
- Location
- White Sands National Park (32.779, -106.333)
Track your visit to White Sands National Park
NP Tracker keeps a record of every National Park Service unit you visit — all 430-plus of them. Log visits with dates and photos, collect passport stamps, plan trips, and watch your map fill in. It's free.
Passport stamp locations
- White Sands Visitor Center
Hours
Standard Park Hourstoday: 7:00AM - Sunset
- Sat Oct 37:00AM - Sunset
- Sun Oct 47:00AM - Sunset
- Mon Oct 57:00AM - Sunset
- Tue Oct 67:00AM - Sunset
- Wed Oct 77:00AM - Sunset
- Thu Oct 87:00AM - Sunset
- Fri Oct 97:00AM - Sunset
Upcoming closures: Nov 26 (Thanksgiving Day)
The park gates always open at 7:00 am with closing hours changing with sunset. The park closes 30 minutes after local sunset. Local sunset is 8 minutes earlier than Alamogordo's predicted sunset. Sunset times can be found at https://sunrise-sunset.org/us/alamogordo-nm
Hours are retrieved from the National Park Service and can change without notice — check the official site before you go.
Visitor centers
1
- White Sands Visitor Centertoday: 9:00AM - 5:00PMDirections
Self-guided tours
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Automobile Tour of Dunes Drive1–2 hours · 10 stops
This self-guided interpretive tour takes you on a driving tour of Dunes Drive, the scenic 8-mile park road that winds through the dunes. Along the way, stops will explore what makes White Sands National Park unique as a natural wonder and a place that has drawn humans for thousands of years.
Changes Over Time: Lesser Known Stories at White Sands1–3 hours · 6 stops
This self-guided interpretive tour takes visitors on the entirety of the Backcountry Camping Loop Trail, which is a moderate 2-mile hike through the dunefield. It dives into the ways human use in this giant sandbox has changed over the last century.
Moth Walk10–30 minutes · 2 stops
To celebrate National Moth Week, join us on this accessible self-guided tour down the Interdune Boardwalk.
Mystery of the Dunes45–60 minutes · 6 stops
This self-guided interpretive tour takes you on a sensory experience of the Dune Life Nature trail.
Entrance fees
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- Private Vehicle — $25.00
Per vehicle fee is charged to visitors for entry by a single, private non-commercial vehicle. Entrance fees are valid for reentry for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase.
- Per Person — $15.00
Per person fee is charged to visitors for entry by means other than a single, private non-commercial vehicle. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who enter the park by walking and bicycling. Entrance fees are valid for reentry for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase.
- Motorcycle — $20.00
Valid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers.
- Annual Entrance - Park — $45.00
This pass admits the pass holder and three persons (16 years and older) in a private non-commercial vehicle into the park for free for a period of one year from month of purchase. It can only be purchased at the entrance station to White Sands National Park. This pass does not apply to special use fees, such as camping and interpretive program fees.