White Sands National Monument - Plan Your Visit

Ripples in the Sand by US-Parks

Operating Hours Seasons

Winter hours

: September 8, 2009 - May 22, 2010

Visitor Center 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The Dunes Drive may be entered from 7:00 a.m. to sunset. No vehicles may enter the Dunes Drive after sunset. All visitors must exit the park by one hour after sunset.

Summer hours

(May 23 through September 7, 2009

Visitor Center 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. The Dunes Drive may be entered from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. No vehicles may enter the Dunes Drive after 9 p.m. All visitors must exit the park by 10 p.m.

The Visitor Center will be closed on Christmas day.

Special Note: Due to missile testing on the adjacent White Sands Missile Range, it is occasionally necessary, for visitor safety, to close the Dunes Drive for periods of up to two hours. U.S. Highway 70/82 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces is also closed during times of missile testing. Visitors on a tight schedule are encouraged to call the day prior to arrival for information on closures.

Local Partners Information Resources

Cloudcroft Ruidoso Alamogordo

Area Campgrounds

Getting There

Plane

El Paso International Airport

Car

The visitor center is located on U.S. Highway 70/82, 15 miles (24.15km) southwest of Alamogordo and 52 miles east of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Travelers from Carlsbad Caverns to southern Arizona can follow U.S. 82 through the scenic Sacramento Mountains to White Sands National Monument.

Public Transportation

To Park: No public transportation serves the park. Cars may be rented in Alamogordo, Las Cruces, and El Paso.

Getting Around

An eight-mile scenic drive leads from the Visitor Center into the heart of the dunes. Wayside exhibits at pullouts along the drive provide information about the natural history of the park.