Sunset stroll, full moon walk: White Sands National Park offers the incredible

There is no place in the world like it.

White Sands National Park (WSNP) covers more than 146,000 acres in the Tularosa Basin, covering parts of Otero and Doña Ana counties and including 275 square miles of white sand dunes. It is the largest dune field of gypsum crystals on earth: Astronauts on their way to the moon could see it from space.

Less than an hour’s drive from Las Cruces, White Sands became a national monument Jan. 18, 1933, and a national park Dec. 20, 2019.

Here is some of what the park has to offer in July, August and going forward:

Full Moon Nights

Experience WSNP under the glow of the full moon. If you go in September, you can watch the Harvest Moon rise.

There is no fee for the program.

Events dates and times are Friday, Aug. 12: 7-11 p.m. (Sturgeon Moon); Saturday, Sept. 10: 7-11 p.m. (Corn/Harvest Moon); and Monday, Oct. 10: 7-10 p.m. (Hunter’s Moon).

Full Moon Hikes

Sign up ranger-led one- to 1.5-mile hikes and explore the beautiful dunes in a whole new light.

Hike dates and times are Thursday, Aug. 11: 8 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 9: 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 9: 6:45 p.m.;

Tuesday, Nov. 8: 5:15 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 8: 5:15 p.m.

Tickets are $8 for ages 16 and older and $4 for ages 15 and younger.

Pre-registration is required at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Park entrance fees also apply and will be charged at the park.

Participants meet the ranger at the Dune Life Nature Trail, a 2.3-mile drive from the fee station, 30 minutes before the program begins

Sunset Stroll

This ranger-guided stroll through the dunes is a chance to learn about the park’s geology, plants and animals. The stroll ends at sunset to provide a panoramic view of the sun setting over the mountains.

The one-hour strolls are held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with these starting times: 7 p.m.: now through Aug. 13; 6:30 p.m.: Aug. 14-Sept. 10; 6 p.m.: Sept. 11-Oct. 1; 5:30 p.m.: Oct. 2-15; 5 p.m.: Oct. 16-Nov. 5; 4 p.m.: Nov. 6-Dec. 31 (no tour on Christmas Day).  

Lake Lucero Tours

Take a three-hour tour to Lake Lucero with a WSNP ranger and learn about the formation of the sands. Rangers will share the geologic story of the park as you traverse a steep gully down to the lakebed and walk by thousands of exposed selenite crystals. The lake is dry and only fills with water when there is abundant rain or snow in the area.

Tour dates are Nov. 19 and Dec. 17, 2022; Jan. 21, Feb. 18 and March 18, 2023. All tour dates are Saturdays, and all tours begin at 10 a.m.

Tickets are $8 for ages 16 and older and $4 for ages 15 and younger.

Tickets are available two months in advance of each tour. Pre-registration is required at Recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. For tickets, please note that only one vehicle per ticket is permitted due limited parking. The Lake Lucero hike is limited to 50 individuals.

Tour check-in begins 40-minutes before program start time at the Small Missile Range Gate.

You will caravan in your own car from the gate to the trailhead, 35 miles round trip.

Park Entrance Fee

WSNP entrance fee is $25 per vehicle ($20 for motorcycles), $15 per person for those walking or bicycling. Entrance fees are valid for entry for seven consecutive days from the date of purchase. An annual vehicle pass to the park is $45. An America the Beautiful annual park pass, which gives access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites nationwide, is $80.

Directions from Las Cruces

To reach WSNP (19955 U.S. Highway 70 West), take U.S. Highway 70 East over the Organ Mountains toward Alamogordo. The park is about 52 miles east of Las Cruces on the north side (left-hand side) of the highway, approximately one mile past a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint station.

Call 575-479-6124 for more information and to make sure the event you want to attend has space available. Visit https://home.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit.