Day TripsNational parkNational park entry fee
White Sands National Park
Alamogordo, NM — about 90 minutes
Gypsum dunes so white they read as snow, and the best sledding in the desert.
Why go
- Buy a plastic saucer at the visitor center and sled the dunes. Everyone does it.
- Sunset on the dunes is one of the great sights in the Southwest.
Planning notes
- The park sits inside a missile range and closes for tests — check the closure schedule the morning you go.
- Full Moon Nights and ranger sunset strolls are worth timing a trip around.