While in Las Cruces, we visited the nearby White Sands National Park.
This park features the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. Until December 2019 it was a National Monument, and many of the signs have yet to be updated:
White Sands visitor center:
In addition to the park service visitor center shop, there is a commercial gift shop onsite:
We do enjoy the cactus candy:
They have disc-shaped sand sleds for sale (and can buy back); we thought about it, but decided not to bother:
Jenn does enjoy her pressed pennies:
A flowering shrub out front was covered in butterflies, moths, and bees:
The entrance station:
The road between sand dunes:
About halfway the pavement ends, so one is driving on compressed sand:
They have several picnic areas, with lots of shelters:
We parked at one, for a picnic lunch; the shelter didn’t do much to block the strong wind, though:
A selfie:
We climbed the dune behind the shelter:
Shiny gypsum sand; a nice property of it is that it doesn’t get hot:
Sand dunes in all directions:
Other people sledding by the picnic area:
Shadows:
We then went to a boardwalk in an area with more foliage:
An interesting park, somewhat different than the sand dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park, but fascinating in its own way.
