Park Details

Name:	White Sands National Monument
Address:	P.O. Box 1086
	Holloman AFB
	New Mexico
	88330
Phone:	575-679-2599 x240

Category

• National park

General Description

At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world''s great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have created the world''s largest gypsum dune field. The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting, then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved a white coloration that camouflages them in the gypsum sand. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment

Accessibility Features

General Accessibility Features

• Accessible bathrooms
• Accessible trails
• Accessible picnic tables/areas

Information and Interpretation Features

• Nature centers, visitor centers and/or museums that are accessible for people using mobility devices
• Brochures or program guides provide information on its accessibility features