Eating & Sleeping

Grab and Go Food in gift shop
Food and drink offerings at the White Sands Trading gift shop.

NPS Photo

Planning where you are going to sleep and what you are going to eat are two important steps in trip planning. In the park, both eating and sleeping options are limited, but the surrounding communities offer a variety of lodging and restaurant options.

Eating & Sleeping

Everyone wants good food and a great night's rest while on vacation! The White Sands Trading Company gift shop has a selection of convenient, ready-to-eat food options including packaged sandwiches, bottled drinks, salty snacks, and sweet treats. The nearby towns of Alamogordo and Las Cruces have a large variety of restaurants as well.

Looking for a place to stay? There are plenty of options in nearby Alamogordo, 13 miles (24 km) from the park and Las Cruces, 50 miles (84 km) from the park. The following can help you locate a hotel or campground that fits your needs:

 
orange camping tent on dunes next to green stake in the ground. Backpacking bag on the ground in front.
Backcountry camping at White Sands.

NPS Photo, Rebecca Burghart

Area Camping

White Sands National Park only offers primitive backcountry camping in the heart of the dunes. Backcountry camping is currently closed while the park addresses safety issues. White Sands doesn't offer hotel accommodations or RV/car camping within the park but there are several campgrounds in the general vicinity of the park, including federal, state, and private options. Learn more below:

State Parks

Campground Phone Number
Oliver Lee Memorial (575) 437-8284
Leasburg Dam (575) 524-4068
Percha Dam (575) 743-3942
Caballo Lake (575) 743-3942
Rockhound (575) 546-6182
Elephant Butte (575) 744-5421
City of Rocks (575) 536-2800

Lincoln National Forest District (575) 434-7200

Campground Phone Number
Pines Campground (575) 682-2551
Silver, Saddle, Apache (575) 682-2551
Silver Overflow (575) 682-2551
Deerhead (575) 682-2551
Sleepy Grass (575) 682-2551
James Canyon (575) 682-2551
Skyline (575) 257-4095
Oak Grove (575) 257-4095
Three Rivers (575) 257-4095

Bureau of Land Management

Campground Phone Number
Aguirre Springs (575) 525-4300
Three Rivers Petroglyph Site (575) 525-4300
Valley of Fires Recreation Area (575) 648-2241

Private

For those looking for camping areas with more ammenities, there are a variety of private campgrounds near the park. For more information, visit the local Chambers of Commerce:

Last updated: January 25, 2024

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Contact Info

Mailing Address:

PO Box 1086
Holloman AFB, NM 88330

Phone:

575 479-6124

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