On our journey home from the southwest we were encouraged by our friends, Jim and Sandi, to stop and see the White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo, New Mexico. They said it was very unique and beautiful, and would be something like we had never seen. As we traveled east on Interstate 70, we kept watching for the signs for the park. At the border station, about a mile before we reached the park, we began to see what appeared to be snow along the roadsides. At one point it was spilling through the ditch and almost onto the road.
This national park is a 275 square mile field of fine white sand dunes. To us, at first sight, it looked like a Minnesota blizzard of gigantic proportions had just occurred. Until we got out and held the sand in our hands, and sunk into the earth’s surface, we couldn’t believe it was really sand! It was fun to hold and behold, and I could see a giant playground for any energetic kid. We were told that many school kids come here for field trips, bringing with them saucers and sleds for sand sledding. Now that would be really fun! And wouldn’t freeze your nose and toes.
White Sands National Park is at an elevation of 4,235 feet in a mountain ringed Tularosa Basin. It is a white field composed of gypsum crystals, one of the largest of its kind on earth. Gypsum rarely occurs as sand because it is water soluble. But this basin has no outlet to the sea, so it traps rain that dissolves the gypsum. Water either sinks to the ground or forms shallow pools which eventually dry out and leave the gypsum on the surface in a crystalized form called selenite. Thus the white dunes that constantly change shape, covering plants and creating a magical place to see.
When we arrived at the entrance of the park, the visitor’s center is the first building you see. The adobe structure holds a museum of sorts and of course, a gift shop. We would check that out later, but started our visit on Dunes Drive, which takes you about eight miles into the dunes in your car. There are several places that you can exit your vehicle and take advantage of the marked trails. If you are more adventurous, almost anywhere is available for walking and exploring on foot. I would imagine one has to be careful if the wind begins blowing, because the landscape would quickly change. We noticed hikers who came prepared with backpacks and hiking boots, and then other teenagers just running through the “drifts” of sand, leaving imprints behind.
The road was paved at first, with several roadside markers explaining plants or directing us to short nature trails or a longer hiking path. The Playa trail leads to a small, dry lake bed. Dune Life trail loops for one mile around the edge of the dunes. It gives explanations of wildlife and plants that live there. Finally we enjoyed the Inter Dune Boardwalk which was a raised walkway across flat land between two lines of dunes. We not only enjoyed the scenery, but met several other sightseers along our trek.
Interesting to me was the Soaptree Yucca plant which grows here. You can see the top reaching out, but if the sand below could be scraped away, the rest of the plant is standing tall, hidden beneath the piles of white dust. Several forms of grasses and Saltbrush could be seen on our drive and walks. Wildlife is present too, but even though we looked hard, we did not witness any. Most of the animals are nocturnal to ward off any predators. Also, their coloring has adapted to the white color, and if they don’t move, you probably won’t see them. From the pictures and written information posted we learned about the most common residents including the Apache Pocket Mouse, White Sands Prairie Lizard, and the Bleached Earless Lizard.
As we drove further into the park, the road became more of compacted gypsum. We no longer saw any vegetation, but unbroken mounds of white sand. It is like a giant beach and just an almost surreal environment. We encountered several open areas that had small picnic areas with covered tables and benches. Getting out of the car several times, we enjoyed “playing” in the sand. Even though our visit was a wintry one, I think I would prefer that to the hot summer temperatures. However, gypsum is different than quartz-based sand in that it does not readily convert the sun’s energy into heat, so that you are able to walk barefoot on this beautiful white stuff, even in the heat of summer.
We ended our time there back at the gift shop. Although I try not to indulge in trinkets and such, I do enjoy finding unique souvenirs to bring memories back in years to come. We found a very pretty Christmas ornament made from the white gypsum sand. And a new hat to protect Dan’s head from the sun’s rays. Somehow he had left his behind somewhere along the way.
If you ever get near this area in your travels, we would encourage you to take a couple hours to peek at this most fascinating creation in our country. Because of the nature of the area, there have been space landings near here, and the Missile Range conducted testing of the atom bomb in 1945. There are tours offered surrounding those events, and museums, etc, in nearby Alamogorda, regarding our U.S. space history.
It is good to be home, although it is such a blessing to be able to see other parts of our great land. We also enjoy meeting the people! So many welcoming ones everywhere we go. Have a great week ahead…into this third month of March already. Sounds like it is going to continue to be white…like the gypsum dunes!!
