Parks / Heartland to the Chihuahuan Desert
White Sands
Stop 10 of 51 on the loop. Stay in Alamogordo NM, give it 2 nights, and plan the day around Dunes Drive.
- State
- NM
- Stay in
- Alamogordo NM
- Nights on this route
- 2
- Month on this route
- April
- Don't miss
- Dunes Drive
- Getting here
- 146 mi from Carlsbad NM, about 3 h 15 min.
- Next stop
- Saguaro, 342 mi, about 6 h 5 min.
About the Park
Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.
Description from the National Park Service.
Where to Stay
On this route you sleep in Alamogordo NM. Gateway towns have more lodging, groceries and fuel than the park itself. If you want an in-park lodge instead, the busiest parks book up as early as 13 months out.
Entrance Fees
- $25 Private Vehicle
- $20 Motorcycle
- $15 Per person (walk or bike in)
An $80 America the Beautiful annual pass covers entry at every national park; on a trip like this it pays for itself after three parks. Fees from the NPS, checked 2026-10-18.
Nearby Parks
- Guadalupe Mountains about 106 mi as the crow flies
- Carlsbad Caverns about 106 mi as the crow flies
- Petrified Forest about 278 mi as the crow flies
Official site: https://www.nps.gov/whsa/. Route data checked 2026-10-19.