White Sands National Park Visitor Statistics

White Sands National Park key statistics

• 659,742 recreation visits in 2025¹
• 563,923 recreation visits from January to October 2026 (preliminary), up 1.6% on the same months of 2025²
• 35th most visited of the 63 U.S. national parks in 2025³
• $62.35 million spent by visitors in 2024⁴
• March was the busiest month of 2025, with 91,656 visits²
• 782,469 visits in 2021, the most in the park's history¹
• Part of the world's largest gypsum dunefield, which covers 275 square miles⁵
• $25 entrance fee per private vehicle, valid for seven days⁶

White Sands National Park had 659,742 recreation visits in 2025.²

Here is how that compares with earlier years:

• 659,742 visits in 2025, down 6.1% from 2024 and the fewest since 2020.¹ That is 8.4% more than in 2019.²
• 702,236 in 2024, down 3.7% from 2023.¹
• 729,096 in 2023, up 3.4% from 2022.⁷
• 705,127 in 2022, down 9.9% from 2021.⁸
• 782,469 in 2021, the most in the park's history.⁹
• 415,383 in 2020, when the pandemic cut visits by 31.8% from 608,785 in 2019.²

How many people visit White Sands National Park per day?

White Sands National Park averaged about 1,810 recreation visits a day in 2025.¹ That is up from about 1,670 a day in 2019.

• March was the busiest month, averaging about 2,960 visits a day.²
• October was the quietest, averaging about 720 visits a day.² The park was closed for part of that month during the federal government shutdown.¹⁰

How many people have visited White Sands National Park in 2026?

White Sands National Park recorded 563,923 recreation visits from January to October 2026, 1.6% more than the 554,895 recorded over the same months of 2025.²

• March 2026 was the busiest month so far, with 90,916 visits, 0.8% fewer than the 91,656 in March 2025.²
• October 2026 drew 58,989 visits, more than double the 22,389 in October 2025.² October 2025 was unusually quiet because the park closed when the federal government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, and reopened only in part from October 11.¹⁰
• July (56,679 visits, down 19.1%) and August (40,113, down 18.7%) were well below their 2025 totals.²
• Leaving out October, the first nine months of 2026 were 5.2% below the same months of 2025, at 504,934 visits against 532,506.²

The 2026 figures are preliminary; the National Park Service finalizes them by the end of the first quarter of the following year.²

• White Sands was the 35th most visited U.S. national park in 2025, with 659,742 recreation visits.¹⁴² Counting every National Park Service site, including monuments, memorials and recreation areas, it ranked 107th.¹⁴
• It is the most visited National Park Service site in New Mexico⁵, and it protects part of the largest gypsum dunefield in the world.¹⁵
• For every park's position, see our U.S. National Park Ranking.

How does White Sands compare with New Mexico's other national park?

New Mexico has two national parks, White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns.¹⁶ White Sands is the more visited of the two, with about 62% of their combined visits in 2025.³

• White Sands: 659,742 visits, 35th of the 63 U.S. national parks³
• Carlsbad Caverns: 410,778 visits, 46th³

The best time to visit White Sands National Park is fall (September to November), when days are warm, mostly sunny and light on wind. Spring is just as mild but windier and busier, summer is hot with afternoon storms, and winter nights drop below freezing. The park has clear, sunny skies for about 330 days a year¹⁷, but temperatures vary greatly between seasons.

• Spring (March to May): daytime temperatures average about 75°F (24°C)¹⁸, with high winds of up to 50 mph. It is also the busiest season: March was the park's busiest month in 2025.²
• Summer (June to August): daytime temperatures average 95°F (35°C) and can reach 110°F.¹⁸ The rainy season runs from early July into late September, with late-afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The Park Service does not recommend starting a hike at or above 85°F (29°C).¹⁹
• Fall (September to November): daytime temperatures average 80°F (27°C)¹⁸, and days are typically sunny with light winds.
• Winter (December to February): daytime temperatures average 60°F (16°C), but evenings average around 23°F (-5°C).¹⁸

After March (91,656 visits), the busiest months in 2025 were July (70,086) and May (69,126).²

In any season, early mornings and late afternoons are the coolest times to explore, with softer light for photography.

White Sands National Park is in southern New Mexico, just off US Highway 70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces. The park entrance is between mile markers 199 and 200.²⁵

• From Alamogordo: the visitor center is about 15 miles west, around a 15-minute drive.²⁵
• From Las Cruces: the visitor center is about 52 miles east, around a one-hour drive.²⁵
• From El Paso, Texas: about 1.5 hours, through either Las Cruces or Alamogordo. El Paso has the closest airport, about 85 miles from the park.²⁵
• Getting around: no public transportation serves the park, and rideshare services generally won't pick you up there. Cars can be rented in Alamogordo, Las Cruces and El Paso.²⁵
• Fuel and charging: fill up in Alamogordo or Las Cruces. There are no charging facilities at the park.²⁵
• GPS: use 19955 Highway 70 West, Alamogordo, NM 88310. Entering only "white sands" may route you to White Sands Missile Range, about 25 miles west of the park.²⁵

The park closes overnight and its hours change through the year, so check them before you go. RV and oversized-vehicle parking at the visitor center is limited to the front (south) lot.²⁵

• Size: White Sands National Park covers 146,344 acres (228.7 square miles)²⁶ and protects 41% of the world's largest gypsum dunefield, which spans 275 square miles⁵.
• Designation: Established as a national monument in 1933, it became a national park on December 20, 2019.²⁷
• Location: The park lies in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico, surrounded by military land that includes White Sands Missile Range and Holloman Air Force Base.²⁸
• Dune sledding: Sliding down the dunes is one of the most popular things to do here, and visitors can rent or buy sleds.²⁹
• Geology: The dunes are made of gypsum crystals, which give the landscape its bright white color. The sand is up to 30 feet deep, and the dunes rise as high as 60 feet⁵.