White Sands National Monument

Dune Life Nature Trail

Our next stop was to visit White Sands National Monument between Las Cruces and Alamogordo New Mexico. We have visited a lot of places during our travels and quite often, like in this case, I think about all of the "mini" natural wonders of the world. There is a proclaimed list of the seven biggest or most majestic natural wonders, but there are countless others to see. This is one of them.

Dune Life Nature Trail

A place like White Sands National Monument (or Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado) is viewed by many as "just a bunch of sand". You have to look at the remarkable nature of it. You are driving along (in our case, but also imagine yourself an explorer, hunter or nomad hundreds or thousands of years ago on foot or horseback) across the Chihuahuan Desert and suddenly you come across 275 square miles of rare gypsum sand dunes. Really, what's up with that?

During the Permian Period, 275 million years ago, a shallow, salty tropical sea covered the area. The sea rose and fell repeatedly over millions of years leaving gypsum deposits behind as the water evaporated. These gypsum layers were eventually uplifted and became a part of the surrounding mountains. Water, mostly from melting glaciers, carried it down into the basin where we enjoy it today. Water is still there, just a few feet below the surface, acting as the glue to keep the sand from blowing away. When it rains, ponds and lakes quickly form in low areas.

Dune Life Nature Trail

Is this a place to plan a big trip to see? No. Combined with the Gila Cliff Dwellings and Carlsbad, you have a trip. If you decide to come to this place and go sledding, which is a popular activity, bring your own sled (coaster). The price and restrictions are very high at the visitor center. Do the short Playa and Dune Life Nature Trails to learn about the dune ecosystem.