At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies the Tularosa Basin, and rising from its heart is one of the world's great natural wonders -- the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles to create the world's largest gypsum dune field.
The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting, slumping, and always advancing. Within this harsh environment, only a few plant species grow fast enough to survive burial by moving sand, and several small animals have evolved white coloration to camouflage themselves against the gypsum. White Sands National Park (upgraded from monument status in 2019) preserves this extraordinary landscape. The best time to visit is sunrise or sunset, when the light turns the dunes into something from another planet.