A late afternoon dust-storm picks up fine sand from the dunes of White Sands National Park. This National Park, tucked within two mountain ranges of New Mexico, hosts the largest sand dunes made of gypsum sand that looks like snow, but flows like salt. Finer than regular sand, frequent windstorms easily pick up the pearl white dunes, erasing footprints of days past, leaving being sharp ripples that move every single day.
Due to the constantly shifting dunes, there are no fixed trails here, except for a series of markers for directional guidance. And even though they are small, it is easy to wander and get lost amidst the vast expanse of the dunes. But that shouldn't deter you from making a visit to this unique park in the desert southwest.
White Sands National Park
NM USA
Of Sandstorms and Windy sunsets
One of the country's newest National Parks has something going for it that no other place on this planet can lay a claim on - the largest gypsum sand basin. And that lends this place a surrealism like no other. While most visitors only spend the daylight hours here, the time for photography in this place when the sun crests below the San Andres mountains, and the predawn hours when everything lays still.
At sunset, in the shadow of the mountains, the white sands take on an unnatural blue hue, which, combined with strong winds at dusk, lend an ethereal soft glow to the undulating striations on the dunes. And on those rare occasions, all these happen with a sky lighting up for sunset, like in this scene above.
This park holds within it many such unique photographic opportunities, and I really do hope I can get back there, if only to spend one more night at this amazing National Park
White Sands National Park
NM USA
Light on the Sands
Sunset on the sand dunes can be special. Sunset on white sand dunes with a gusting windstorm is even more.
Just before the pandemic lockdown shut all travel, I had ventured out to White Sands National Monument. My previous trip had been more than 9 years prior, and I had longingly looked forward to this trip. I had planned on camping in the sand dunes as I knew the landscape would turn spectacular at sunset and sunrise.
As luck would have it, the forecast called for gusts of winds up to 20mph which I knew would make for a poor camping experience with sand everywhere. But there was a silver-lining to this: a layer of undisturbed white sand stretching for miles and lending to unique compositions that I would find nowhere else.
What I eventually witnessed as I scrambled from site to site, hunting for new compositions, was beyond extraordinaire. I lucked out with the right combination of weather, light and location in this unique corner of New Mexico.
White Sands National Monument
NM USA
Heart of the Dunes
Walking into the heart of the dunes sounded appealing at the visitor center when I first entered one of the newest National Parks. But at the trailhead, with winds gusting upwards of 20 miles per hour, I had to rethink my decision, since all I could see in front of me was a wall of white blasting down my face.
I had visited White Sands National Park when it was still a National Monument and had hiked down the same trail to the heart of the sands. But back then, it was a calm balmy day, with a gentle breeze and mild temperatures. Quite unlike today.
I decided to go on, climbing over dune after endless white dunes, with nary a sign of life, all while getting sandblasted by pure white gypsum sand. I couldn't even turn back as my footprints were getting erased as fast as I created them. The only thing leading me own were the odd markers sticking above the ever shifting sand dunes.
I survived, but was coated in sand from head to toe. And my camera fared no better. But at least it continued to take photos.
White Sands National Park
NM USA