White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park is a national park of the United States located in New Mexico and completely surrounded by White Sands Missile Range. This one stands 6 mi southwest of Holloman AFB. It is run by the National Park Service. Recorded visits for 2025 came to 660K.
A national park, 6 mi southwest of Holloman AFB
March is the busiest month
March averages about 99,498 visitors, 2.4 times January. When to go ↓
Summers are hot
June and July highs run 95–95°, and about 119 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 96K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 96% of the 7,770 attractions we track.
Alamogordo is the nearest base
Alamogordo is 14 miles northeast, with 27 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best month: Oct
October is mild and quieter than average, with a high of 78°. When to go ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The year in visitors and weather
Below are monthly visits and typical highs at White Sands.
White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park is a national park of the United States located in New Mexico and completely surrounded by White Sands Missile Range. The park covers 145,762 acres (227.8 sq mi; 589.9 km2) in the Tularosa Basin, including the southern 41% of a 275 mi2 (710 km2) field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth, with a depth of about 30 feet (9.1 m), dunes as tall as 60 feet (18 m), and about 4.5 billion short tons (4.1 billion metric tons) of gypsum sand.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1933
- Area
- 225 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Listed
- Tentative World Heritage Site (2008)
- Wikipedia readers
- 96K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/whsa
When it is open
- Private Vehicle$25
- Per Person$15
- Motorcycle$20
- Commercial Entrance - Van$50
Rooms near White Sands National Park
Nearest for a night are Alamogordo (27) and Cloudcroft (25).
Alamogordo
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
31,906 people
14 mi northeast of White Sands Visitor Center · 11 mi to the park
Cloudcroft
757 people · 61% vacation homes
28 mi northeast of White Sands Visitor Center · 25 mi to the park
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamogordo | 14 mi northeast | 20 min | 27 15 hotels · 6 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 31,906 | $173K | C− |
| Cloudcroft 61% vacation homes | 28 mi northeast | 40 min | 25 3 hotels · 2 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 10 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 757 | $235K | — |
| Holloman AFB | 6 mi northeast | 10 min | 1 1 hotel | 4,433 | — | — |
| Boles Acres | 12 mi east | 15 min | 1 1 inn or B&B | 1,848 | — | — |
| La Luz | 19 mi northeast | 30 min | 2 2 RV parks | 1,797 | $68K | — |
| High Rolls | 24 mi northeast | 35 min | 3 1 lodge or cabins · 1 hostel · 1 RV park | 1,313 | $258K | — |
| Tularosa | 22 mi northeast | 35 min | 2 1 lodge or cabins · 1 RV park | 2,662 | $151K | — |
| Twin Forks 62% vacation homes | 33 mi east | 50 min | 5 1 hotel · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 310 | $250K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
After White Sands
Places worth adding lie within 65 miles.
118 mi MuseumNew Mexico Museum of Space History5.0M visitors a year
44 mi National forestLincoln National Forest
62 mi State parkFort Stanton
60 mi Ancient siteHueco Tanks
215 mi Zoo & aquariumAlameda Park Zoo48 mi Ski areaSki Apache46 runs · 1,796 ft vertical329 mi Ski areaSki Cloudcroft26 runs · 634 ft verticalPhoto credits
New Mexico Museum of Space History: AllenS, Public domain · Lincoln National Forest: Dsw3131, Public domain · Fort Stanton: AllenS, Public domain · Hueco Tanks: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0 · Alameda Park Zoo: AllenS, Public domain
Visitor numbers: 659,742 in 2025
Here are the yearly counts from 2016 to 2025.
White Sands in questions
What town is White Sands National Park near?
Holloman AFB, NM, about 6 miles northeast.
When is the best time to visit White Sands National Park?
October, with a high of 78°. March is the busiest month (about 99,498 visitors).
How many people visit White Sands National Park each year?
659,742 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 782,469, set in 2021.
How far is White Sands National Park from El Paso?
About 66 miles south of El Paso, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to White Sands National Park?
Las Cruces (LRU), about 55 miles away. The nearest big hub is El Paso (ELP), about 68 miles.
Where should I stay near White Sands National Park?
Alamogordo (14 mi, 27 places to stay), Cloudcroft (28 mi, 25 places to stay) and High Rolls (24 mi, 3 places to stay).
Ask a local in Holloman AFB
Be the first to share a tip in Holloman AFB’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.