Sand Box with a View

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, NM

By Larry Tobin

White Sands National Monument, in Southern New Mexico, is as entertaining for adults and children as any amusement park in the world. For an afternoon of fun, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

White Sands National Monument is located 14 miles southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico on U.S. Highway 70 headed toward Las Cruces. Consisting of 275 square miles of pure white gypsum sand, its gently hills lie in the Tularosa Basin, just south of the jagged masses of black lava flow of the Valley of Fires in Carrizozo. These starkly contrasting features stand out prominently in any satellite photo of the area.

Approaching from the east, you will pass Holloman Air Force Base--home of the stealth aircraft. In fact, you may be lucky enough to see them flying overhead.

Surrounding the monument is the White Sands Missile Range and space shuttle landing site. This space theme is also evident in the nearby town of Alamogordo, which houses the International Space Hall of Fame and Space Theater. If your children are interesting in space exploration, the Space Museum and IMAX Theater might be the place to spend the hot part of a summer day.

Standing in White Sands, you can view the forested slopes of the Sacramento Mountains to the east, and stark beauty of the San Andres Mountains to the west. It is from these slopes that the gypsum washed down over the centuries into the Tularosa basin, evaporated, and left behind the dunes you now see.

It’s easy to think of White Sands Monument as simply an enormous sand box. To your children, that’s all it will ever be. Dune after flowing dune of white sand as far as the eye can see. The numerous plants that have adapted to this environment may totally escape your child’s notice. If you are a photographer, however, it is these plants that will catch your eye and reward you with an unparalleled photographic opportunity.

But again, for kids, it’s just a sand box—an enormous sandbox. All along the seven mile road into the park there are turnouts where you can park and let your children run up and down the dunes to their hearts’ content.

I and my son arrive with swimming suits, which become our play uniforms for the rest of the day. I notice many people stay dressed and keep their shoes on, but I really can’t imagine why—they sure miss out on some great fun!

During the summer months, the dunes are very hot during the day. Though a brief run up the dunes is always possible, the sand can be scorching to bare feet and the heat rapidly overwhelming on a sunny afternoon. For this reason, in the heat of the summer it is best to plan on arriving at the park either right away in the morning, or later in the afternoon. The park closes at sunset, so judge your time accordingly. Optimal, is to arrive on a cloudy day, which also delivers great sunsets. (In winter, the days are cooler of course, so the sand can be cold and wet for barefoot—though just as beautiful.)

You won’t need to bring along anything in order to have a great time. If you do have a plastic snow sled, bring it along, There are even “sand boards” that we have seen for sale on EBay that are shaped somewhat like snow boards but with double grooves on the bottom. When waxed, they move just like a snowboard on a ski slope! We’ve also seen makeshift sleds of linoleum that work great. Playing Frisbee on the dunes is also a lot of fun.

You can play for hours, heat and weather permitting, and it will be an experience your children will remember forever.

A special event you won’t want to miss is the Full-moon Celebration that takes place each full moon night through the summer months. On the full-moon only, the park remains open until 11:00 p.m. to allow two additional hours of play in the full moon light.

Going to White Sands for the full-moon night is a family tradition for most of the local population and you will be amazed at how many people attend. Barbeque pits are available in the picnic area, and the atmosphere is truly festive. With the full moon reflecting off the white sand, you won’t even need a light to read a book! (If you’ve ever lived in snow country, it will remind you of a winter full-moon walk, only in shorts and bare feet!)

Other special opportunities to enjoy the park include the guided nature walk held at 7:00 pm every evening, and the guided tour to Lake Lucern, a dry lakebed in the middle of the park.

RV camping is not allowed in the park at. However, you can obtain a permit to hike a mile in to a single designated tent-camping site. Check ahead for reservations, and remember that you must arrive at the tenting area before sunset. I have never done this, but I’ve heard it is a wonderful experience.

Regarding safety, keep young children within sight at all times. It is easy to become disoriented moving from dune to dune, and people have been lost. Sun block is obviously a great idea. And, if your child is hyper allergic, remember that gypsum is not sand, and reactions to this substance are possible. Consult your doctor or a Park Ranger if you have concerns. If you have reason to be concerned, a construction or surgical mask may be all it takes to prevent excessive intake of gypsum dust and still allow your children to enjoy the experience of a lifetime.

http://www.nps.gov/whsa/