White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
Aerial view of dunefield
Map showing the location of White Sands National Park
Map showing the location of White Sands National Park
Location in state of New Mexico
Map showing the location of White Sands National Park
Map showing the location of White Sands National Park
Location in the United States
LocationOtero County and Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Nearest cityAlamogordo, New Mexico[2]
Coordinates32°46′45″N 106°10′19″W / 32.77917°N 106.17194°W / 32.77917; -106.17194[2]
Area145,762 acres (227.753 sq mi; 589.88 km2)[3]+[4]
EstablishedJanuary 18, 1933
(as a national monument)[3]
December 20, 2019
(as a national park)[4]
Visitors729,096 (in 2023)[5]
Governing bodyNational Park Service
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
White Sands National Monument Historic District
Visitor center
Built1936–38 (original NRHP buildings)
ArchitectLyle E. Bennett, et al.
Architectural stylePueblo Revival
NRHP reference No.88000751[6]
NMSRCP No.1491
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 23, 1988
Designated NMSRCPSeptember 9, 1988

White Sands National Park is a national park of the United States located in New Mexico and completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. The park covers 145,762 acres (227.8 sq mi; 589.9 km2) in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a 275 sq mi (710 km2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth,[7] with a depth of about 30 feet (9.1 m), dunes as tall as 60 feet (18 m), and about 4.5 billion short tons (4.1 billion metric tons) of gypsum sand.

Approximately 12,000 years ago, the land within the Tularosa Basin featured large lakes, streams, grasslands, and Ice Age mammals. As the climate warmed, rain and snowmelt dissolved gypsum from the surrounding mountains and carried it into the basin. Further warming and drying caused the lakes to evaporate and form selenite crystals. Strong winds then broke up crystals and transported them eastward. A similar process continues to produce gypsum sand today.[8]

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 Tularosa Basin has also seen a number of human inhabitants, from Paleo-Indians 12,000 years ago to modern farmers, ranchers, and miners.

White Sands National Park was originally designated White Sands National Monument on January 18, 1933, by President Herbert Hoover. Since 1941, the park has been completely surrounded by the military installations of White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base. It was redesignated as a national park by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 20, 2019. It is the most visited NPS site in New Mexico, with about 600,000 visitors each year.[9] The park features a drive from the visitor center to the heart of the dunes, picnic areas, backcountry campground in the dunefield, marked hiking trails, and sledding on the dunes. Ranger-guided orientation and nature walks occur at various times and months throughout the year.

  1. ^ "White Sands in United States of America". protectedplanet.net. IUCN. Archived from the original on December 22, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NPS directions was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NPS stats was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NDAA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "NPS Annual Recreation Visits Report". National Park Service. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  6. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  7. ^ "Nature – White Sands National Park". nps.gov. National Park Service. January 14, 2017. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference NPS Geology was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "White Sands National Park sees record visitations". KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. January 8, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.