White Sands, New Mexico: Is It Worth Visiting?

White Sands New Mexico looks a little like someone built the perfect beach and then forgot to add the sea.

Brilliant white sand. Blue sky. Mountains in the distance. And when we visited, almost nobody else was there.

I remember looking around and thinking there were maybe four other cars besides ours. That made an already surreal place feel even more unreal.

First things first: magnets

Before driving into the dunes, we stopped near the Visitor Center and, obviously, magnets were purchased.

Was the gift shop cheap? No. Did that stop us? Also no. Some travel traditions must be respected.

Then the road turns white

You pay the entrance fee at the station on Dunes Drive and then simply drive in. The current standard entrance fee for a private vehicle is $25 and is valid for seven consecutive days.

And the drive itself is part of the experience. The landscape gets whiter and whiter until even the road looks as if someone has dusted the whole place with flour.

Dunes Drive runs eight miles into the dunefield. The first five miles are paved; the final three are a hard-packed gypsum road. It is an easy drive, but visually it feels wonderfully strange.

Is White Sands really that beautiful?

Yes. Annoyingly so.

It is ridiculously Instagrammable, but that is almost beside the point. White Sands does not look beautiful because photographs make it look good. Photographs look good because the place really is that beautiful.

The sand is gypsum rather than ordinary beach sand, and the park protects part of the largest gypsum dunefield in the world. White in every direction, deep blue sky above it, mountains on the horizon — it genuinely feels like a giant white beach with one thing missing: the sea.

The moment I stopped taking photos at White Sands New Mexico

I take a lot of photos when I travel. Usually I see something beautiful and immediately think: photo, video, another angle, one more.

At White Sands there was a moment when I simply put the phone down.

Not because there was nothing left to photograph. Exactly the opposite. I just wanted to look.

For me, that is probably the best review a place can get.

You don’t need a complicated plan

White Sands did not feel like a place where we needed to race through a checklist. We parked, walked out onto the dunes and stayed there for a while.

You can hike, picnic, photograph the landscape or sled down the dunes. We were perfectly happy simply wandering around and taking it all in.

No rush. No heroic itinerary. Just a place that makes you want to stay a little longer than planned.

A few practical things I’d remember

This is still a desert, even when the ground looks like snow. Bring water, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. The National Park Service advises visitors to fill water containers at the Visitor Center before heading into the dunes.

One more thing: wear shoes you can clean easily. That beautiful white gypsum gets everywhere — including your shoes. Mine survived perfectly well, but I was very glad I wasn’t wearing anything precious. Choose something comfortable that you can wipe or clean without having a small emotional crisis afterwards.

And sunglasses are not optional in my book. The white gypsum reflects an incredible amount of sunlight, and the glare can be intense. I remember thinking that without sunglasses I could barely keep my eyes open. Bring a proper pair — your eyes will thank you.

It is also worth checking the official park information before you drive there because access can occasionally be affected by missile testing at the neighboring White Sands Missile Range.

And do not over-plan it. The beauty of White Sands is that there are not fifty attractions demanding your attention. The landscape is the attraction.

So, is White Sands worth visiting?

Absolutely. I would go back without hesitation.

It was not the loudest stop on our American trip. After a week in Texas, White Sands felt like stepping into a completely different world. There were no skyscrapers, neon signs or famous movie landmarks demanding attention. Just white dunes, blue sky, distant mountains and an unusual amount of space.

And somehow, with almost nobody else around, it felt as if we had been given the place for ourselves for a little while.

Sometimes the places you remember most are the ones where you stop trying to do anything at all.

More life, please.