White Sands National Monument

When you think about the desert in the South Western US, you probably think browns and tans with maybe some very sparse green.  But, if you’ve spent time in New Mexico, especially the south west of the state, you might also think of another color.

White.  Dune after dune of bright white sand.

Driving into White Sands National Monument feels pretty much like going into any other National park.  A few speed bumps, a visitors center, and a fee station to enter. The amazing nature of this park really takes hold about a half mile past the fee station where a few scattered white spots on the sides of the road suddenly give way to an ocean of bright colorless sand.

The pavement drops away and you could easily convince yourself you were driving across an arctic tundra.  The sand almost crunched under the tires of my Jeep like a snow pack as we drove further into the monument just before sunrise.

Walking out onto the dunes from one of the parking areas is odd enough, with the stark lack of color on the ground confusing your eyes at first.  Just as you get used to it and crest over the top of a ridge, it really strikes you.  Bright white dunes, one after another, just roll out as far as you can see.  The mountains in the distance that would blend in with any other southwest horizon, pop out with brilliant colors against the foreground that is almost devoid of it.

While we were there on top of one of the dunes, the sun finally came out behind clouds to the east.  We had a few moments of bright light across the ground, contrasting the sand against the orange and purple of the mountains in the distance, before a wall of fog rolled in from the north.  The next half hour or so was some of the creepiest foggy scenery imaginable.  This is what being in a blizzard feels like visually, and the chill of the early morning air in the desert only added to the illusion.

Melody shot a few more stunning photos on the way out of the monument despite the limited visibility, and we called it a morning.  This teaser trip only serves to make a full day and a sunset return to this place an absolute ‘must-do’.

One thing to keep in mind if you plan a trip here, is that the road past the monument also goes right through White Sands Missile Range, and is prone to closures when the USAF is testing it’s new toys!