White Sands National Park is the largest gypsum dune field in the world over 275 square miles.
This park and the dunes were unbelievably beautiful! Glistening white sands as far as your eye could see with the surrounding mountains making for a stunning horizon. We got there in the early afternoon hours and were so excited to explore. We first went to the gift shop and purchased saucer sleds and wax. We were told that pledge actually works much better so next time we will try that out as wax didn't seem to work as well as we had hoped. We then found an area to park, hike and sled. We had lunch at a picnic area right there in the parking lot. It was really quiet and there were a few cars around but seemed like we had the place to ourselves. It was a beautiful sunny day!
This area is the Tularosa Basin. Millions of years ago the Permian sea retreated and left these layers of gypsum. The gypsum was then carried higher as the mountains rose from the ground and then glacial water dissolved it and it came down to the basin. The sands move and dunes shift constantly with the changing wind and weather. The white gypsum you see is actually held together by water and inches below is actually moist.
Our van parked at the base. We had a really nice picnic area to have lunch. During the summer the temperatures can rise to over 100 degrees! Today was around 70.
White Sands Missile Range actually surrounds this national park. Sometimes they close the entire park for safety when they are doing missile range tests.
The first atomic bomb was detonated at Trinity Site which is 100 miles north of here.
It would be so easy to get lost quickly in this vast place where your prior footsteps can quickly get covered up.
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral and is actually mined. It is used in many forms of drywall, plaster, and chalk. It is found in sedimentary rock.
We welcomed the soft hues of the sunset. It was just stunning! In the least of places you expect...we feel fortunate that our national park system preserves these gems.
The girls had such blast sledding down the sand dunes! What an experience.
Soaptree yuccas in the distance. New plants emerge when the dunes shift and also in turn bury older plants. There are a few shrubs and plants. Some animals like lizards, Apache pocket mouse and kit foxes find this place home.
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