Ready for Adventure

There’s a place unlike any other on Earth in southern New Mexico. Rippling white dunes sprawl across 275 square miles. It’s called White Sands, and it’s the newest national park protected by the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS oversees more than 400 national and historic sites, but only 62 have the designation of national park.

Like many national parks, White Sands started out as a national monument. “People don’t remember Grand Canyon National Monument, but this has been a pathway for a lot of our national parks,” says Kelly Carroll, a geologist and park ranger at White Sands National Park. National monuments can be established by a presidential executive order. But to become a national park, Congress must pass formal legislation. White Sands officially became a national park on December 20, 2019.

In southern New Mexico, there’s a place like nowhere else on Earth. Wavy white sand dunes stretch across 275 square miles of land. The place is called White Sands. It’s the newest national park protected by the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS oversees more than 400 national and historic sites. But only 62 of those are national parks.

Like many national parks, White Sands started out as a national monument. “This has been a pathway for a lot of our national parks,” says Kelly Carroll. She’s a geologist and park ranger at White Sands National Park. Presidents can create national monuments by issuing an executive order. But Congress must pass formal legislation to make a place a national park. White Sands officially became a national park on December 20, 2019.

How are national parks different from national monuments? “Typically, national monuments have one thing that’s really significant,” says Carroll. In 1933, White Sands was declared a national monument because of its unique white sand dunes. The pale color comes from a white mineral called gypsum. The gypsum was left behind after shallow seas receded from the area more than 250 million years ago. Eventually, winds blew the gypsum sands into dunes.

National parks, on the other hand, typically have multiple significant features. In addition to the dunes, White Sands has a collection of fossilized footprints and animals with striking white fur and skin that have perfectly adapted to the unique environment.

How are national parks different from national monuments? “Typically, national monuments have one thing that’s really significant,” says Carroll. In 1933, White Sands was declared a national monument because of its unique white sand dunes. The pale color comes from a white mineral called gypsum. The gypsum was left behind by shallow seas that used to cover the area. They receded more than 250 million years ago. Eventually, winds blew the gypsum sands into dunes.

National parks, on the other hand, typically have multiple notable features. In addition to the dunes, White Sands has a collection of fossilized footprints. It’s also home to animals with striking white fur and skin that help them blend into the unique environment.

Carroll finds the fossilized footprints especially exciting. They are from massive Ice Age mammals like woolly mammoths, dire wolves, and giant sloths. There are also footprints of humans who lived in the area 11,000 years ago. The prints help archaeologists learn how early humans hunted their giant prey.

“In the last 80 years, we have learned so much about this place,” says Carroll. “White Sands is more than a sandbox, it’s a gorgeous, magical place to be.”

Carroll finds the fossilized footprints especially exciting. They were left by massive Ice Age mammals like woolly mammoths and giant sloths. Humans who lived in the area 11,000 years ago also left footprints. The prints help scientists learn how early humans hunted their giant prey.

“In the last 80 years, we have learned so much about this place,” says Carroll. “White Sands is more than a sandbox. It’s a gorgeous, magical place to be.”