White Sands National Park beyond mile marker 3 is closed to the public. This partial park closure is for public safety and includes Backcountry Camping Loop Trail, Alkali Flat Trail, Interdune Boardwalk, Sunset Stroll meeting area and all picnic facilities. The Sunset Stroll evening program is canceled. Horseback riding permits are not being issued. There are no picnic facilities available.
The visitor center, Dune Life Nature Trail and Playa Trail remain open during normal park and visitor center hours. There is still much to experience during a visit to White Sands National Park such as the visitor center where you can learn about the park by experiencing the exhibits, watching the award-winning park film “A Land in Motion,” and attending pop-up ranger programs. Also please visit White Sands Trading Gift Shop and Western National Parks Association Park Store. You can still experience the sand dunes by hiking the one-mile Dune Life Nature Trail where you will see beautiful bright white rolling dunes lined with areas of native Chihuahuan desert plants that are currently in bloom. You can also learn about the fossilized footprints and Ice Age megafauna along the half-mile Playa Trail.
A map of White Sands NP with a red x and text that states “As of May 1,2024 the park is closed to all public access beyond this point.
