White Sands National Park, Gypsum dune national park in the Tularosa Basin, New Mexico, United States
White Sands National Park is a protected area covering wide gypsum deposits in New Mexico, roughly midway between El Paso and Albuquerque. The dunes spread across a broad basin and form ridges, hollows, and gentle waves of fine white sand.
The Tularosa Lake dried up thousands of years ago and left behind a mineral-rich surface that wind shaped into dunes. The site was designated a national monument in 1933 and received national park status in 2019.
The name comes from the gypsum sand itself, which is white. The Mescalero Apache hunted bison here, and Jornada Mogollon farmers left puddled adobe structures and pottery sherds dating from about 200 CE until they moved away around 1350 CE. Hearth mounds in the dunes are prehistoric fire remains, their ash and charcoal cemented into plaster by heated gypsum.
Water is necessary when exploring the dunes, as temperatures climb high during summer months and shade is absent. Trails are not always clearly marked, so it helps to note visible landmarks along the way.
Several animal species have developed pale body colors over generations to blend into the white terrain. This adaptation is especially visible in small rodents and some lizard species, which appear almost entirely light in tone.
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