Like No Place Else on Earth
The glistening white sands deep in the Tularosa Basin of New Mexico is one of the world’s great natural wonders. Wave-like dunes of gypsum sand cover 275 square miles (for my Swiss friends, almost the size of Obwalden and Nidwalden together )of desert, creating the world’s largest gypsum dune field.
The signs at the park entrance warn of the many dangers awaiting you once in the park. One is dehydration. There is no water anywhere. Another, and probably the most significant risk, is that you can get lost. There is an eight-mile road with several parking possibilities. Once you walk away from the car and look back, you can see your footsteps. But a small gust of wind dissolves your footprints, and are… gone with the wind. Everything is white around you, and you can get lost with no landmarks.
Dunes can be as tall as 60ft (18m). I was by myself and used my GaiaGPS which recorded my way, and I was able to walk back again, following my trail on the GPS. If you come here, make sure you have an additional battery for your phone.
White Sands is a place you can’t find anywhere in the entire world. Astronauts see these dunes clearly from space. Strong winds can blow gypsum dust hundreds of miles. Thousands of animals inhabit the park. Several live only in this park. The soap tree Yucca plant is popular within White Sands.
White Sands and its environs, the Tularosa Basin, is very old. Humans have been there since 12,000 years ago when the Paleo Indians roamed the area. Now there are modern farmers, ranchers, and miners.
The best time to photograph this wonder is during the magic hour of sunset, and as the sun gets closer to the horizon, the dunes are bathed in warm tones. You can be all by yourself and get drunk by the beauty and the absolute silence. The colors change in front of your eyes. All this is what makes this place magical.
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