Here are some White Sands Facts and Stats that you’ll definitely want to be able to pull out of your hat during your next White Sands Cocktail Party…
Guide to White Sands
White Sands Fun Facts
Fact 1 – White Sands National Park holds more grains of gypsum sand than any other place in the world!
Yep, White Sands is home to the largest gypsum dune field in the world, spanning over 275 square miles, or roughly, 150,000 acres. Gypsum dunes are relatively rare on a global scale, and are not commonly found in other parts of the world, but these dunes are so expansive that they can be seen from space.
Scientists estimate that the dunefield holds about 4.5 billion tons of gypsum sand, which is enough to fill 45 million box cars, which if linked into a trail, would constitute a train long enough to circle the Earth at the equator more than 25 times!
Fact 2 – The park may be closed upon your arrival, due to intermittent missile testing!
Yes, you read that correctly… Missile Tests… The park will close its gates during missile tests at the neighboring White Sands Missile Range, which is an operating military test facility located just to the west of White Sands National Park. Crazy huh?
The White Sands Missile Range was founded in 1945 to provide research & development, as well as testing & evaluation of weapons. It covers 2.2 million acres (8903 sq. km), making it the largest installation of its kind in the western hemisphere.
Fact 3 – White Sands is home to an endemic species of… fish.
Now I’ll readily admit that it seems odd to think that a sand dune park can be home to a fish, but it’s true. The Tularosa Basin is home to several small streams and watering holes. One such stream is the Lost River, which terminates inside the park. This stream is home to the White Sands pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa), which is likely a remnant of the now evaporated body of salt water, Lake Otero.
White Sands Stat Sheet
established: December 20, 2019 as White Sands National Park
monument: January 18, 1933 as White Sands National Monument
rank of admission: 62nd
size: 176,600 acres
rank in size: 44
annual visitation: 2019 – 608,785
rank in visitation:
time zone: Mountain Time Zone
park phone: 575-479-6124
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