Posted By auntie on January 31, 2016

1.9 miles; Mystery Location

Guess where this hike is.

Mystery Photo 1

Is it snow? [bzzzt!] Wrong.

Mystery Photo 2

Is it the seashore? [bzzzt!] Wrong.

White Sands National Monument

Give up? It’s the White Sands National Monument in Alamogordo, New Mexico. That is not silica sand, like at the beach, it’s gypsum crystals. Very similar consistency to beach sand—maybe a little coarser. It was a stunning landscape of pure white that went on for literally miles. The hubs and I hiked the Alkali Flats Loop Trail, which is approximately 5 miles. Or to be more precise, the hubs hiked the whole trail. I gave up after about a mile of climbing 30-foot dunes over and over again and turned around, so I only got in about 2 miles here.

Signs of Life

Even here in the alkali desert, there were some signs of life, like these tiny little tracks around some scrubby-looking grass. It was an unforgettable trip. This is very near the White Sands Missile Testing Range, so there were a lot of “rocket” and other space-themed business names in Alamogordo, not to mention the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

World’s Largest Pistachio

And the World’s Largest Pistachio! Can’t forget that…

You can find out more information about the White Sands National Monument at the National Park Service website.

Categories: New Mexico, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 2 miles or less, Alamagordo NM, NM