• 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.

First Amendment

Kathy with flag
NPS PHOTO
 

For persons who would like to exercise their first amendment right via holding a public assembly or meeting at White Sands National Monument, a permit is required.

The permit for first amendment requests is not available online, but may be obtained by contacting the monument at (575) 479-6124.

Did You Know?

Photo of hiker on the dunes

Only the top few inches of the gypsum dunes are made of loose sand. Rainwater falling on the dunes dissolves some of the gypsum and cements the sand grains together, creating a crude form of plaster of Paris. This makes the white sand dunes easy to walk on.