White Sands National Park
| White Sands National Park | |
|---|---|
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape) | |
Aerial view of dunefield | |
| Location | Otero County and Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States |
| Nearest city | Alamogordo, New Mexico |
| Coordinates | 32°46′45″N 106°10′19″W / 32.77917°N 106.17194°W |
| Area | 145,762 acres (227.753 sq mi; 589.88 km2)+ |
| Established | January 18, 1933 (as a national monument) December 20, 2019 (as a national park) |
| Visitors | 729,096 (in 2023) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Official website |
White Sands National Monument Historic District | |
Former U.S. National Monument | |
Visitor center | |
| Built | 1936–38 (original NRHP buildings) |
|---|---|
| Architect | Lyle E. Bennett, et al. |
| Architectural style | Pueblo Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000751 |
| NMSRCP No. | 1491 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 23, 1988 |
| Designated NMSRCP | September 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, 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.
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. 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.