White Sands National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to White Sands National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at White Sands National Park, New Mexico, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new, so bookmark it rather than an old news story. Missile tests on the neighboring range can close the park road for up to three hours, so check the park's own alerts and closure schedule the day before and the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • Safety corridor on Dunes Drive. Dunes Drive is open, but between mile 3 and mile 5.5 you may drive through without stopping, parking, or getting out of your vehicle. The area south of the road in that stretch is closed to all foot and horse traffic. (NPS)
  • The Interdune Boardwalk is closed because it sits in the safety corridor. Sledding is closed at the boardwalk area and the dunes around it but allowed in the rest of the park. (NPS)
  • Backcountry camping is closed, with no reopening date. There's no other overnight option in the park. (NPS)
  • Missile-test closures. Testing on White Sands Missile Range can close the park road, and U.S. 70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruces, for periods of up to three hours. The park suggests checking its closure page the day before you arrive. (NPS)
  • Fossil Day programs through October 28. The park is running guided hikes on its Ice Age Trail, ranger talks, and drop-in programs about the Ice Age footprints preserved in the park. A special presentation tied to the October Full Moon Night is on Sunday, October 25, at 5:30 p.m. (NPS)
  • RV parking. RVs and trailers have limited space in the lot directly in front (south) of the visitor center and shouldn't use the lot behind it. There's no parking for tractor-trailers.

Open and closed right now

  • The park opens at 7 a.m. daily and closes 30 minutes after local sunset, which the park says is 8 minutes earlier than Alamogordo's predicted sunset. Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, good for seven days. (NPS)
  • White Sands Visitor Center: open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The White Sands Trading Post attached to it sells packaged food, bottled water, and drinks. (NPS)
  • Dunes Drive is open, half paved and half packed gypsum sand, with the safety corridor above.
  • Hiking: the park has five marked trails, marked by colored posts in the sand. Wind can knock the posts down; if you can't see the next one, turn around.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Wednesday, October 28: the last day of the Fossil Day programs.
  • Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving): the whole park, visitor center included, is closed. It's closed again on Christmas Day.
  • Winter weather: the park says it may close without warning in winter when roads or weather are unsafe. It posts those closures first on its Facebook page, then through New Mexico Department of Transportation road conditions.

What this means for your trip

The safety corridor is the change most visitors will feel. You can still drive the full length of Dunes Drive, but you can't stop between miles 3 and 5.5. That rules out the Interdune Boardwalk and its short, easy walk. Plan to stop before mile 3 or after mile 5.5 instead. The marked trails and the sledding areas outside the boardwalk zone aren't on the closure list, and the visitor center staff can point you to other options.

The missile-test closures are what catch people off guard. They can close both the park road and U.S. 70, so if you're driving in from Las Cruces on a tight schedule, check the closure page the day before. Leave slack in your plans, too; a three-hour hold can eat a whole afternoon. And with closing time tied to sunset, a late-fall visit gets short in a hurry. Arrive early if you want to hike and still catch the light at the end of the day.

There's nowhere to sleep inside the park while backcountry camping is closed, so plan on a room or campsite outside it. The nearest services are in Alamogordo, about 15 miles away.

Before you go

  • Check the park's current conditions and missile-test closure schedule before you drive out.
  • For U.S. 70 closures between Alamogordo and Las Cruces, call White Sands Missile Range at 575-678-1178.
  • For winter weather closures, check the park's Facebook page and New Mexico road conditions.

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to White Sands National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.