The first stop on my westward journey was White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. Though it was in the upper 90's the sand was cool to the touch. Being adventurous, with some planning (having a lot of water), I hiked the 5 mile Alkali Flat Trail in the late afternoon to sunset. It was a stunning trail with surreal waves of gypsum dunes highlighting the distant mountain ranges. These photos are from the Alkali Flat Trail. I also hiked a nice and short boardwalk trail that highlights the Tularosa Basin, though it was much more popular.
White Sands rises heart of the Tularosa Basin and is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. These great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand engulf 275 square miles of desert, resulting in the world's largest gypsum dunefield (NPS).
