White Sands National Park

Dec. 8, 2024

The largest gypsum dune field in the world does not disappoint. They have to plow the roads for sand, not snow. There are a few trails here, but you can just wander around the dunes. The only restricted area is where a F-18 crashed about eight months ago. You can drive through the area but are not allowed to stop or get out of a vehicle. I did the Dune Life Nature trail and part of the Alkali Flats trail but cut it short to join in a ranger led sunset walk. The rolling dunes of very white sand hemmed in by mountains on either side even had a local guy walking his camel. A few kids were riding sleds down the dunes and the ranger said sand boarding was just starting up. I broke my tail bone last time I tried sand boarding, so I passed on the option today.