White Sands National Park, NM: Tips for Visiting & Sledding with Kids

Discover an incredible place that is unlike anywhere else in the world! Sand that is whiter than white, dunes as far as your eye can see and more fun than you could ever imagine!

This is White Sands National Park.

Here, spectacular white gypsum dunes spread out over 275 square miles of southern New Mexico creating the Largest Gypsum Dunefield in the World!

 

First, Where is White Sands National Park?

White Sands National Park is located in Southern New Mexico, approximately 100 miles north of El Paso Texas (about 1 hour 30 minute drive).

 

 

Tip # 1 Drive Dunes Drive

Dunes Drive takes approximately 45 minutes to drive round trip. Along the Loop Portion there are several picnic areas and vault toilets for your convenience. And definitely make sure you schedule plenty of time to play on the dunes!

Don’t Miss This Fantastic Drive Through White Sands National Park!

 

Tip #2 Go Sledding at White Sands

Just pick up one of those round snow disks and some wax (if you can) for your sledding adventure (other sled types don’t work as well) and you’re all set. These disks can be purchased from the visitor center gift shop, the local Walmart or similar store. You may even be able to borrow one from the hotel you are staying at so make sure you check with them before you buy/ rent one.

 

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the White Sands Motel in Alamogordo, NM and they had a stack of sleds for their guests to use!

This is a great hotel and we really enjoyed staying here. It was also ranked #1 in Alamogordo by TripAdvisor when we stayed. And we thought it was amazing that they let our family of five borrow 5 sleds for our sledding adventure! This was an awesome added bonus!

Sledding is only allowed in the loop portion of Dunes Drive so make sure that’s where you go. Just pick any hill to slide down (away from the road of course) and you’re sure to have a blast!

 

Tip #3 Information for Visiting White Sands

At White Sands National Park the temperatures vary greatly throughout the year and over the course of each day. Choosing your time to visit can give completely different experiences of this amazing National Park.

Summer Recommendations

If you are traveling during the Summer months then the best time to visit White Sands is after dinner in the evening or first thing in the morning. At these times the temperatures are pleasant and you can fully enjoy what this park has to offer.

We chose to visit White Sands on a summer evening and had an absolute blast on the dunefields! The temperature was perfect (still warm but comfortable). And we loved how the evening sky created a spectacular back drop against the pure white sand.

Tips for a Mid-day Visit

In my childhood, I had the chance to visit White Sands with my family during the middle of a sunny summer day. This was a completely different experience but it was still amazing! What I remember the most was how insanely bright the white sand was. I had never seen anything so bright and blinding, and still haven’t again to this day! You definitely need to have sunglasses on to experience this park on a sunny summer day! As a kid I thought that this was a pretty cool experience.

The major downside to visiting on a sunny summer day is that it is so incredibly hot! You won’t want to be out of your car for more than a few minutes. Temperatures can reach 110°F in White Sands during the summer. This makes it unsafe to hike, uncomfortable to go sledding and not very pleasant to spend a lot of time out of your car. If you do choose this experience, make sure that you have plenty of sun protection, sunglasses and lots of water with you.

 

What to Pack to Help with the Heat

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Dry Fit Shirts – These are Our Favorite Dri-Fit Shirts for Kids! (24 colors!)

Hiking/ light weight shorts – These are Our Favorite Kids Hiking Shorts for Boys.

A Sun Hat – Especially if you are visiting mid-day. My husband and I love our Tilley Hats and we love the Outdoor Research Kid’s Rambler Sombrero Hat for our kids!

Sunglasses are essential if you are visiting mid-day!

Sunscreen

Water Bottle – We love this one from Nalgene! It’s easy to carry, simple to clean, clear so you can quickly see how much your child has drank and comes in a variety of colors. We’ve used these on every one of our trips!

 

Temperature Guide to Help You Plan Your Trip:

June – August: Daytime is 95°F (35°C) and up to 110°F (38°C). Evenings are from 50-65°F(10-15°C).

July- September is the rainy season with late afternoon and evening thunderstorms (10 inches/ year).

September – November: Daytime is 65-80°F (18-27°C), Evenings are 40°F (4°C)

December – February: Daytime is 60°F (16°C), Evenings are 23°F(-5°C)

March – May: Daytime is 75°F (24°C), Evenings at 40°F (4°C), Up to 50 mph winds in Spring.Having a blast running and jumping on the dunes!

Park Hours and Closures to Help You Plan Your Trip:

Initially I found this confusing so I wanted to go over it here.

Hours:

The Visitor Center opens daily at 9 am and closes at 5 pm in the winter and 6 pm during the summer. But you can enter the Park Gates through Dunes Drive each day at 7 am. (unless there is a park closure)

This is where it gets confusing.

There is a specific time that you must enter Dunes Drive by in the evening and exit before. These hours are different from the visitor center and gift shop hours and they also change according to the month.

2021 Hours:

Please verify hours with their website due to possible Covid closure updates.

Dates:	Visitors Must Enter Before:	Visitors Must Exit Before:
November 1 – January 30	5:00 p.m.	6:00 p.m.
January 31 – March 13	6:00 p.m.	7:00 p.m.
March 14 – April 10	7:00 p.m.	8:00 p.m.
April 11 – September 11	8:00 p.m.	9:00 p.m.

Closures:

Be aware that occasionally the road into the park, Dunes Drive, may be closed for up to three hours due to missile testing at the nearby White Sands Missile Range. Notifications are posted and updated here: https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/park-closures.htm

During these closures the Visitor Center and gift shop will remain open so grab a sandwich, a snack or browse the gift shop while you wait.

Fees:

The Park Entrance Fee is $25 per vehicle

or free with an America the Beautiful Pass, 4th Grader Pass, Senior Pass, or any other Interagency Pass.

 

Tip #4: Have Your Kids Become A Junior Ranger

We love the Junior Ranger Program at US National Parks!

Just stop by the Visitor Center and pick up a Junior Ranger Book. In this book Riley the roadrunner will guide your child through fun-filled, age appropriate activities for you and your family as you explore White Sands National Park!

Once your child has finished their activities, just return the book to a park ranger at the visitor center and they will be sworn in as an Official White Sands Junior Dunes Ranger!