Loading trail…
Free — you'll pick up right here.
Save this plan
Sign up to save your own editable copy — you'll pick up right here.
New Mexico
42 ft
Gain
No conditions check on file for this trail yet — always verify current conditions before you go.
Why you'll love it
First Stop of Backcountry Camping Loop Trail Tour
AI-suggested draft · review before you go
No permit or access details on file for this trail — check with the local land manager before you go.
<p>Welcome to White Sands National Park’s digital self-guided tour! If you see the Backcountry Camping Loop Trailhead in front of you, you’re in the right place.<br /> <br /> White Sands is far more than just a sandbox. Over time, this land has been home to countless creatures and people. It’s been a site for research and recreation, sleds and snapshots. Just as the landscape shifts and changes every day, the way recent humans have utilized this place has changed, too. As we begin our voyage to explore how the ways we use this landscape has changed over time, remember that nothing is permanent – especially not the world’s largest gypsum sand dunes. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust your location to get a better view along the way.<br /> <br /> Here are a few more tips to help you make the most of this self-led tour:</p> <ul> <li> <p>Read up on our <a href="https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/hiking-safety-tips.htm">hiking safety tips</a> before setting off on foot.</p> </li> <li> <p>Bring plenty of water! We strongly recommend having at least a gallon of water per person, per day. <strong>There is no drinking water available in the dunefield.</strong></p> </li> <li> <p>Always know where you are, and keep a keen eye on the trail markers both behind you and ahead of you. The backcountry trail markers will all have the spade symbol on them.</p> </li> <li> <p>Please be respectful of visitors setting up camp at the designated sites along the trail, and try to avoid wandering into campsites uninvited. We’re not Goldilocks, and the beds probably won’t fit “just right.”</p> </li> </ul> <p>Now if you’re ready to begin, you can continue along the trail. <br /> <br /> Let’s go!</p>
Backcountry Camping Loop Trail Restroom
~0 min drive
<p>The Backcountry Camping Loop Trail restroom has two separate wheelchair-accessible vault toilets with no running water, a dumpster, and trash and recycling bins. It is within a parking area with plenty of space to park automobiles and RVs, and there are accessible parking s…
Alkali Flat Trail
~2 min drive
<p>Red trail markers with a diamond symbol guide hikers along this strenuous, 5-mile (8 km) roundtrip hike. The Alkali Flat Trail skirts the edge of what is now the final remnant of Lake Otero. <strong>This trail is not flat!</strong> You will be hiking up and down dunes the e…
Interdune Boardwalk
~3 min drive
<p>The Interdune Boardwalk is fully accessible for people using wheelchairs and strollers. Take an easy 0.4 mile (650m) round trip stroll through the dunes and learn about the science, geology, plants, and animals that make White Sands an unequaled natural wonder. The boardwal…
"Finding Footprints" Interpretive Sign
~5 min drive
<p>This interpretive exhibit at the Playa Trail showcases some of the tracks found at White Sands.</p>
"Wetter, Bigger, Badder" Interpretive Sign
~5 min drive
<p>This interpretive sign on the Playa Trail highlights some of the larger-than-life creatures that you would've seen along this trail if you were here over ten thousand years ago.</p>
"Just Add Water" Interpretive Sign
~5 min drive
<p>This interpretive sign on the Playa Trail showcases how water and the changing seasons create a hidden world that is waiting to come to life.</p>
A Desert Oasis Interpretive Sign
~5 min drive
<p>Water is the focus of this interpretive sign on the Playa Trail. It describes how water is trapped in the basin and helps create the dried lakebed that is highlighted on this trail.</p>
Dune Life Nature Trail Restroom
~5 min drive
<p>The Dune Life Nature Trail restroom has two separate wheelchair-accessible vault toilets with no running water, a trash bin, and is adjacent to a parking area with plenty of space to park automobiles and RVs. There are accessible parking spaces directly in front of the rest…
Dune Life Nature Trail
~5 min drive
<p>The Dune Life Nature Trail is a moderate, one-mile (1.6 km) self-guided loop hike. Though not difficult, this hike does require hikers to climb two steep dunes with loose sand. Follow the blue trail markers with a club symbol. Meet Katie the Kit Fox and learn about her frie…
Playa Trail
~6 min drive
<p>The Playa Trail is an easy, 0.5 mile (800m) round-trip, level trail with outdoor exhibits along the way to help you learn and explore this trail and the characteristics that make it special. Follow the green trail markers with a heart symbol that lead to a small playa. On t…
Also worth it near here