White Sands desert is located in the state of New Mexico and completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. The park covers 145,762 acres (227.8 square miles) in the Tularosa Basin and is a field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dune field is the largest of its kind on Earth, with a depth of about 30 feet with dunes as tall as 60 feet, and has about 4.5 billion short tons of gypsum sand.

Thousands of species of animal inhabit the park, a large portion of which are invertebrates. Several animal species feature a white or off-white coloration. At least 45 species are endemic, living only in this park, with 40 of them being moth species.

The White Sands Desert is located in the northernmost area of the Chihuahuan Basin Ecoregion, just south of the Colorado Plateau Ecoregion.

The entrance to the park and visitors center is located thirteen miles southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico on US 70.

There is no WiFi is available at White Sands National Park. Further, cell service has limited available both around the park entrance and inside the dunes area and data availability is minimal. There are some dead zones that exist with no service at all.

Also, text messages may be the best way to contact family or friends.

Vehicle: $25.00

Motorcycle: $20.00

Person: $15.00

Veterans: Free (with veterans ID card)

Backcountry Camping: $3.00 per person per night

Fifty percent off for Access and Senior pass holders

The only type of camping in this park is hike in, primitive camping and there are ten first come, first serve campsites along a backcountry loop trail. Their are no facilities beyond the post marking the campsite location. Campers must register at the visitors center and be at the campsite before sunset.

Tularosa Valley

Stallion Gate entrance to Trinity Site (33.823267, -106.654736)

Trinity Site, First Atomic bomb detonation (33.677294, -106.475313)

White Sands Missile Range