The newest national park was almost my last.
After an 8 hour road trip from Denver to southern New Mexico, we rolled into our campsite outside of White Sands National Park just as the sun was about to set on another day. With our tent pitched and air mattress inflated (the spoils of car camping), there was a sense of urgency to start a campfire before darkness fell.
As I bent down to grab a few wood chips for kindling, I noticed something in my peripheral vision nudged up against the steel fire pit, something abnormal. Perhaps due to fatigue, or just flat out carelessness, but it took my brain farrrr too long to register that my arm was within inches of a coiled up rattlesnake. Shit.
My flight response finally kicked in and I lunged out of striking distance, likely setting the world record for a backwards long jump, if such a thing exists. When my heartrate finally slowed and the four letter words ceased, I informed Amanda of our current predicament.
More screaming ensued until she found herself standing on the top of our picnic table, safe at last.
The commotion settled and, with assistance from the campground host, the snake departed. I then added rattlesnakes to the list of things not to mess with. The others: sharks, grizzlies, and the Wu-Tang Clan.
The immediate threat was neutralized, but future precautions were taken. Each time we returned to our campsite, we were like a SWAT team clearing the area of any more legless creatures. Comical, maybe. But necessary.
With the gift of waking up the next morning in a sleeping bag, and not a body bag, a blissful visit to White Sands awaited.
I first laid eyes on White Sands years earlier while flipping through the pages of Outside magazine. The image of a desert with sand as white as snow stayed with me.
Seeing all of these incredible trip ideas in Outside and Backpacker eventually led to a new obsession of mine – writing down every noteworthy park, trail or trip that I read about, cataloged by state. I suppose if I ever find myself in North Dakota with nothing to do, I’ll at least have this list to turn to.
The first entry on the list: “New Mexico: White Sands National Monument.”
In December 2019, White Sands was elevated from one of the 400+ units managed by the NPS to become our 62nd National Park. The park is home to the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The dunes are so vast they can be seen from space.
From the road, White Sands doesn’t look like much. The dunes are nowhere near as tall as the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. Shrubs and plants give the gypsum a cloudy look prior to entering the park boundaries. Where was the bleached white sand I had remembered seeing years ago?
At the recommendation of a park ranger, we decided to embark on the 2 mile Backcountry Camping Trail. From the NPS: “hiking the Backcountry Camping Trail provides a sense of the magnitude of the world’s largest gypsum dunefield while not having to venture too far from one’s vehicle.”
As we drove a bit into the heart of the park, that landscape began to morph into what felt like an alien planet. Wind-swept sand covered the road, leaving only a winding path between the 30 ft high dunes. A Mars rover seemed like the more appropriate vehicle. Not our Nissan Xterra.
We reached the empty parking lot, double-checked our water supply, and then hiked up the initial incline into the dunes. The deep blue skies provided a stark contrast to the bright white sand. With not another soul in sight, we kicked off our shoes and set out towards the distant lone trail marker.
Soon the road disappears, the sounds of civilization fade, and you are immersed in a sea of white. A true sense of adventure.
On our drive home, Pearl Jam played through the speakers while we discussed the parks, trying to distract our minds from rural New Mexico’s bland uniformity.
It’s difficult not to compare White Sands to the two other national parks we visited in the region, Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains. While it was yet to be named a national park at the time, the decision was unanimous – White Sands was our clear favorite.
White Sands is well-deserving of its National Park recognition, joining the ranks alongside such icons as Yellowstone and Yosemite. Whether you hike the dunes, sled the dunes, take in a sunset, or go on a guided full moon hike, you are sure to be rewarded with an unforgettable experience.
And if you happen to run into a rattlesnake, remember what we say to the god of death…
Not today.
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