White Sands National forest is understood for its white gypsum sand. The endless rolling desert hills of the park make visitors feel like they remain in an unlimited void of white. That feeling is magnified when a strong sandstorm blows through, and the sky matches the dunes for a total whiteout.
Just recently, the park shared images from a windy day:
The sand practically looks like clouds as it lingers over the park’s landscape. The park jokingly referenced Leave No Trace in the post and recommended Lincoln National park took their sand. The New Mexico national park sits simply east of the national forest and has a significantly different landscape of pine trees with an elevation above 9,000 feet.
< img width =" 1200" height ="800"src=" https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png 1200w, https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png?resize=300,200 300w, https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png?resize=700,467 700w, https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png?resize=768,512 768w, https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png?resize=600,400 600w, https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png?resize=278,185 278w, https://savageventures.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/white-sands-sandstorm-1.png?resize=150,100 150w"alt= "A sandstorm at white sands blew sand into Lincoln National park."/ >
A view of White Sands National Forest from Lincoln National Forest. (Source: Alex Murphy) Like many other national parks, White Sands sees a good mix of weather condition. In fact, there are lots of videos documenting sandstorms in the park.
If you’re ever trapped in a sandstorm, which is more typically called a dust storm, authorities advise you enter as quickly as possible. You must also:
- Covering your nose and mouth.
- Wear a mask developed to obstruct dust particles.
- Prevent driving during windy conditions when windblown dust or sand is most likely.
- Pull over and switch on headlights as a safety precaution if you are driving.
Have you gone to White Sands before?
White Sands National Park is known for its gypsum sand, however the park’s landscape takes a significant modification when a sandstorm blows through.