White Sands National Park

White Sands is a special place in New Mexico.

It has huge hills of white sand. This sand is made of tiny crystals.

Long ago, the land had big lakes.

Rain washed crystals from the mountains into the lakes. Then the water dried up.

Strong winds blew the crystals into hills.

This is how the sand dunes grew. Many animals live here now.

Some bugs and lizards are even white. This helps them hide in the sand. It is a very pretty park.

White Sands National Park is in New Mexico. It has the largest field of white sand dunes on Earth.

These dunes are made of gypsum crystals.

How did the sand get there? Long ago, the area had big lakes and streams. As the climate warmed, rain and snowmelt washed gypsum from the mountains. The water carried it into the basin. Eventually, the lakes dried up. This left behind selenite, which are crystals.

Strong winds then broke the crystals into small pieces. The wind moved them to make the dunes we see today.

Many animals live in the park. Some animals have white colors to help them hide. At least 45 species live only in this park. These are called endemic species.

People have lived here for a very long time. Researchers found human footprints that are 21,000 to 23,000 years old.

Today, about 600,000 people visit the park each year. They enjoy hiking and sledding on the dunes.

White Sands National Park is a special place in New Mexico. It sits inside the Tularosa Basin. The park is completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. This park is famous for its huge field of white sand dunes. These dunes are made of gypsum crystals. It is the largest field of its kind on Earth. The dunes can be as tall as 35 feet. There are about 4.5 billion short tons of gypsum sand here.

How did these white dunes form? About 12,000 years ago, the land had large lakes and streams. As the climate warmed, rain and snowmelt washed gypsum from the mountains. This water carried the gypsum into the basin. Later, the lakes dried up and left behind selenite crystals. Strong winds then broke these crystals into small pieces. The wind moved the pieces eastward to create the dunes. This same way of working still happens today.

Many different living things call this park home. Thousands of animal species live here. Many of these are invertebrates, which are animals without backbones. Some animals have white colors to help them hide. There are at least 45 endemic species here. Endemic means they live only in this specific park. Most of these are moth species. You might also see a bleached earless lizard.

Humans have visited this land for a very long time. Researchers found fossilized human footprints in the gypsum soil. These footprints are between 21,000 and 23,000 years old. Other tracks belong to extinct animals like Columbian mammoths. Long ago, Paleo-Indians hunted mammoths and bison here. Later, the Jornada Mogollon people lived here around 200 CE. They made pottery and farmed the basin. The Mescalero Apache also lived in this territory.

Protecting this land has taken many steps. President Herbert Hoover named it a national monument in 1933. It became a national park on December 20, 2019. This change was signed into law by President Donald Trump. Today, it is the most visited national park site in New Mexico. About 600,000 people visit every year. Visitors can go hiking or go sledding on the dunes. You can even stay in a backcountry campground.

White Sands National Park is a unique protected area located in New Mexico. It sits within the Tularosa Basin and is entirely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range. The park is famous for its massive field of white sand dunes. These dunes are composed of gypsum crystals rather than the quartz found on most beaches. This gypsum dunefield is the largest of its kind on Earth. It covers a vast area with a depth of about 30 feet. Some dunes reach heights of 35 feet. In total, the park contains about 4.5 billion short tons of gypsum sand.

The formation of these dunes is a long geological process. About 12,000 years ago, the Tularosa Basin was very different. It featured large lakes, streams, and grasslands. During this time, Ice Age mammals lived in the area. As the climate became warmer, rain and snowmelt began to change the landscape. This water dissolved gypsum from the surrounding mountains. The water then carried the dissolved gypsum into the basin. As the climate continued to warm and dry, the lakes began to evaporate. This evaporation left behind large selenite crystals.

Once the selenite crystals formed, the wind took over the process. Strong winds broke the crystals into smaller pieces. These pieces were then transported eastward across the basin. This movement created the massive dunes we see today. This natural cycle of dissolution, evaporation, and wind transport continues to shape the park.

The park is home to thousands of animal species. A large portion of these animals are invertebrates, which are creatures without backbones. Many species have adapted to the bright environment. Several animals feature white or off-white coloration to blend in. There are at least 45 endemic species in the park. Endemic means these species live only within this specific location. Most of these endemic species are moths.

Human history in the Tularosa Basin is incredibly deep. Researchers found fossilized human footprints buried in gypsum soil. These footprints are estimated to be between 21,000 and 23,000 years old. This discovery is significant because it challenges the usual timeline for human arrival in North America. Other fossil tracks belong to extinct megafauna. These include Columbian mammoths and ground sloths.

Many different groups of people have inhabited the basin over millennia. Paleo-Indians once lived near the shores of Lake Otero. They used stone projectile points to hunt large animals like camels and bison. Later, the Archaic people arrived about 4,000 years ago. They may have been attracted by Indian ricegrass. They were among the first to practice agriculture by tending wild plants. Around 200 CE, the Jornada Mogollon people lived here. They built permanent houses and made pottery.

The Mescalero Apache also had a strong presence in the region. They were nomadic hunters and gatherers. They lived in temporary structures called wickiups and teepees. The Apache defended their territory during the Apache Wars. This included the Battle of Hembrillo Basin in 1880. This battle involved Apache warriors and the United States Army's 9th Cavalry Regiment. Eventually, the Apache were forcefully removed to the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.

Protecting the dunes has required formal legal action. The area was first named White Sands National Monument in 1933 by President Herbert Hoover. It was later redesignated as a national park. This change was signed into law by President Donald Trump on December 20, 2019. Today, it is the most visited National Park Service site in New Mexico. About 600,000 visitors come to the park each year. People enjoy hiking, visiting picnic areas, or sledding down the dunes.