White Sands Visitor Center

The visitor center offers many things including a museum with exhibits, an orientation film, and a park store.

NPS Photo, Joe Elsen

White Sands Visitor Center

Parking

There are two parking areas for the visitor center. The largest, and main parking lot is the south parking lot, closest to highway 70. There is limited space for parking for recreational vehicles and trailers in the parking lot directly in front (south) of the visitor center. Personal vehicles should refrain from parking in the striped areas for oversized vehicles in the front (south) parking lot. There is no space for recreational or oversized vehicles in the back (north) parking lot. There is no parking space for tractor trailers at all in White Sands National Park.

Restrooms

The main restrooms are located next to the visitor center structure and are open during visitor center hours. These hours change throughout the season. Please refer to the Visitor Center hours to know when the bathrooms are open. Additonal vault toilets are available along Dunes Drive.

Visitor Center Information Desk

When you enter the through the main doors the visitor center information desk is located just to your right. Park rangers will be available to help give you information and answer your park questions. You can also obtain junior ranger books and get sworn in at this location. In addition, the park store, Western National Parks Association, will be selling a small amount of the park's most popular souvenirs. Remember, you do not need to stop at the visitor center to pay the park fee or get a brochure - you'll do that at the park's entrance station 0.25 miles farther along Dunes Drives.

White Sands Trading Post Gift Shop

The gift shop has two entrances, one from the visitor center courtyard and the other are double doors facing the north parking lot. The interior of the gift shop is three rooms with merchandise fixtures placed on the floor. The spacing between merchandise fixtures exceeds 36 inches wide, with the proper turnaround radius at cash registers. The White Sands Trading Post is the location where you can purchase sleds to go sledding at the park. The trading post also has an assortment of pre packaged food options, bottled water, and general souvenier items.

The visitor center and gift shop are open 363 days a year, closing on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Hours of operation vary by season. Fill up your water containers at the visitor center area; there is no water available in the dunefield. Please visit the Western National Park Association's online park store.

The nearest restaurants and gas stations to the monument are located in the town of Alamogordo, 13 miles northeast of the park on US Highway 70.

Museum Exhibits

Are open the same hours as the visitor center. The exhbits help visitors learn the history, geology, and natural history of White Sands National Park.

Park Film

The 17-minute park film plays every 30 minutes beginning at 9:00 am to 30 minutes befor the visitor center closes.. Spanish and audio description versions are available on request. Please see front desk for any information related to versions of the movie

Pets

You are welcome to bring pets to the park. Animals are not permitted in the visitor center or gift shop, with the exception of service animals. Do not leave pets unattended or locked in your vehicle. Please use the pet waste stations located on the western side of the visitor center parking lot and west side of gift shop parking lot.

Accessibility

There are a variety of accessibility options in and around the park's visitor center. Please refer to the accessibilty page to understand what options are avialble for your visit to White Sands National Park.

Historic Visitor Center

The interior of the visitor center presents various examples of artistry in construction and furnishings, such as decoratively carved corbels, benches and chairs, and individually crafted tin lighting fixtures.In 1990, the visitor center and adjacent seven buildings, also built between 1936 and 1940, were officially designated as the White Sands National Park Historic District. Set in a landscape of native plants, the historic district preserves this unique architectural style and is a tribute to the plans of the architects and the fine artisanship of the WPA workers.

Directions

The park is located on Highway 70 west between the cities of Alamogordo and Las Cruces. Please reference the parks directions page to figure out what is the best way for you to get to White Sands National Park.