White Sands Visitor Center
Address: 19955 Hwy 70 W., Alamogordo, NM 88310
White Sands holds the largest gypsum dunefield on Earth, 275 square miles of pure white dunes rising 60 feet above the Tularosa Basin. Fossilized human footprints found here date back more than 21,000 years, among the oldest in North America, and Ice Age hunters left Folsom points where mammoths once drank.
Sled down the dunes on plastic saucers, a park tradition, and walk the playa trails; young kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge. For a challenge, hike the 5-mile Alkali Flat Trail across the heart of the dunes, a strenuous trek with no shade.
Coordinates: 32.77966, -106.17239