• The dunes in soft light

    White Sands

    National Monument New Mexico

  • Closures and Missile Tests

    Upcoming Missile Tests: Friday-Saturday, April 27-28 -- Missile test scheduled on both mornings. Highway 70 will be blocked at Red & Yellow checkpoints. No backcountry camping on Thursday and Friday, April 26 & 27. More »

  • High Winds

    We are in our windy season, so please be aware of possible high winds.

  • Backcountry Camping

    There will be no backcountry camping available the night of Saturday, April 7, 2012.

Early Entry - Stay Late

Sunset at the dunes
NPS PHOTO
 

Many National Park Service areas may be entered any time, day or night, at sunrise or sunset to view wildlife. At White Sands National Monument, we share our boundaries with the U.S. Military at Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range. Due to security issues, the monument has specific posted hours of operation.

That being said, it is possible to enter the monument early or to stay past closing for a fee of $50 for each hour that we must open early or close late. The FAQ sheet that we've put together will answer many of the questions you may have.

If you would like to schedule and Early Entry/Stay Late date, please download the general 
permit conditions along with the application and follow the instructions included in them to reserve your date.

Did You Know?

Satellite photo of dune field

Only a handful of gypsum dunefields exist and the white sands dunefield is by far the world's largest, covering 275 square miles.