white-sands | NM | Find park

White dunes in foreground with sun setting behind mountain.

Sunsets are one of the most popular times to visit White Sands. Visitors can experience sunset every day of the year.

The dunes at White Sands cover 275 square miles of the Tularosa Basin.

The wind shapes and moves the dunes as a whole but gives each individual dune the texture of ripples.

Fall is a wonderful time to visit as most of our plants with leaves change beautiful colors.

As the sun changes its angle through the sky it allows shadow to roll across the dunes.

Physical Address:

19955 Hwy 70 W

Alamogordo, NM 88310

Mailing Address:

PO Box 1086

Holloman AFB, NM 88330

contact-details

Phone Number: 5754796124 Voice

Email Address: whsa_interpretation@nps.gov
Description:

Fees

Entrance Fees

Entrance - 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.

Entrance - 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.

Entrance - Motorcycle: $20.00

Entrance fees are valid for entry for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase.

Commercial Entrance - Van: $50.00

Commercial bus/van tours are charged a flat rate based on the capacity of the vehicle (not the number of persons on board).

Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus: $60.00

Commercial bus/van tours are charged a flat rate based on the capacity of the vehicle (not the number of persons on board).

Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach: $150.00

Commercial bus/van tours are charged a flat rate based on the capacity of the vehicle (not the number of persons on board).

Entrance Passes

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.

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.

park designation:National Park

Directions:

White Sands National Park is located off of US Highway 70 between the cities of Las Cruces and Alamogordo. The park is about 15 miles west of Alamogordo and 52 miles east of Las Cruces.

For detailed directions, please visit this link.

Directions

Operating Hours:

Standard Park Hours

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

Exceptions:

Summer Hours (March 10, 2025 - September 2, 2025)

Thanksgiving Day (November 27, 2025 - November 27, 2025)

Christmas Day (December 25, 2024 - December 25, 2024)

Weather Information:

Temperatures at White Sands vary greatly throughout the year. Summer time temperatures can be very hot. Winters are mild with cool evenings. Spring time is the windy season. Fall is very enjoyable with mild daytime and night time temperatures.