always something for everybody.
White Sands National Monument is a popular destination for people travelling from Holloman Air Force Base. After a long day outdoors Comfort Inn & Suites is a nice place to spend a night or two; a fine site to stop by nearby is Mule Canyon.
At
the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed
275 square miles of desert and have created the world's largest gypsum dune field. The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting, then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path.
Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved a white coloration
that camouflages them in the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment. CONTACTS
Email - WHSA_Interpretation@nps.gov Fax- 505-479-4333 Write to
P.O. Box 1086
Holloman AFB, NM 88330 Phone
Visitor Information - (505) 679-2599
Visitor Information - (505) 479-6124
TRAVEL BASICS
Operating
Hours, Seasons
The monument is open daily, except Christmas Day. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day): Visitor Center 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m., Dunes Drive 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Winter hours: Visitor Center 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Dunes Drive 7:00 a.m. - sunset.
Special Note: Due to missile testing on the adjacent White Sands Missile Range, it is occasionally necessary, for visitor safety,to close the Dunes Drive for periods of up to two hours. U.S. Highway 70/82 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces is also closed during times of missile
testing. Visitors on a tight schedule are encouraged to call the day prior to arrival for information on closures. Getting There
PLANE - El Paso International Airport CAR - The visitor center is located on U.S. Highway 70/82, 15 miles (24.15km) southwest of
Alamogordo and 52 miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Travelers from Carlsbad Caverns to southern Arizona can follow U.S. 82 through the scenic Sacramento Mountains to White Sands National Monument. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - To Park: No public transportation serves the
park. Cars may be rented in Alamogordo, Las Cruces, and El Paso. Weather & Climate
The Tularosa Basin, a high desert area, averaging 4,000 feet (1200+ meters) in elevation, is subject to harsh, and sometimes rapidly changing climatic conditions. Summers are hot,
averaging 95?F. (35?C.) highs in July and August, with occasional readings over 100?F. (38?C.). Winters are relatively mild, but night time temperatures often go below freezing (0?C.) and cold spells can send the mercury below zero (0?F., -17?C.). The lowest recorded temperature
is -25?F. (-32?C.). Snowfall is infrequent, but heavy snows have occurred on occasion. Precipitation averages about 8 inches (20cm.) per year, with most falling during summer thunderstorms, often accompanied by lightning and hail. Wind is the dominant climatic factor here, especially
from February through May. The prevailing southwesterly winds blow unimpeded across the desert and at times reach gale force. Wind storms can last for days in the spring. This is the time of the greatest dune movement, when living conditions for dune animal and plant communities
become extremely harsh. Accessibility
All facilities in the visitor center and picnic areas are wheelchair accessible. The sand dunes themselves are accessible to wheelchairs to a limited degree. The Interdune Boardwalk is a 1/3 mile (round-trip)wheelchair-accessible
trail through an interdune area and to the top of a dune. Getting Around
An eight-mile scenic drive leads from the Visitor Center into the heart of the dunes. Wayside exhibits at pullouts along the drive provide information about the natural history of the park.
FEES/PERMITS
Entrance Fee
INDIVIDUAL
$3.00 for 7 Days
Entrance fees are collected at the entrance station on the Dunes Drive.
WHY FEES?
Activity Fee
LAKE LUCERO TOURS
$3.00 per person for One Time
$1.50 per person for 16 and under and Golden Age passport holders. National Park and Golden Eagle Passports are not valid for this activity.
MOONLIGHT BICYCLE TOURS
$5.00 per person for One Time
Advance registration is required. Call (505)679-2599 ext.111
$2.50 per person for 16 and under and Golden Age Passport holders. National Park and Golden Eagle Passports are not valid for this activity.
CAMPING
Backpackers Campsites
Open All Year
There is no car camping at White Sands National Monument.
However, the park does have primitive backcountry campsites for backpackers wishing to enjoy a night on the white sands. The backcountry campsites, located about one mile from the scenic drive, are reached from a trailhead on the drive 6 miles from the visitor center. The campsites
are primitive with no water or toilet facilities. No ground fires are permitted at the campsite or anywhere else in the park. Backpackers must register for campsites in person (no advance registration) at the Visitor Center by one hour before sunset. The backcountry campsites are
occasionally closed due to missile testing on the adjacent White Sands Missile Range.
FACILITIES
Visitor Centers
WHITE SANDS VISITOR CENTER
Open All Year
Closures - Closed Christmas Day.
Special Programs - Check 'InDepth'
section of this web page.
Available Facilities - Refreshments and snacks can be purchased at the visitor center giftshop from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Summer 8:00 a.m. to 7 p.m.) Books, maps, posters, videotapes and audio tapes are sold in the visitor center by: Southwest Parks and Monuments Association, P.O. Box 1086, Holloman AFB, NM 88330-1086
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