Throughout October, White Sands National Park will celebrate National Fossil Day (Oct. 14) with a series of special programs exploring the Ice Age human and mammal fossilized footprints preserved throughout the park. Programs will be offered from Oct. 2 – 28 and will include guided hikes along the new Ice Age Trail, ranger talks, drop-in programming and a special presentation associated with the October Full Moon Night on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m.
White Sands National Park will host its September Full Moon Night event Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. featuring a concert performed by Native American flautist and storyteller Randy Granger.
White Sands National Park is trying to contact a visitor who handled a dead bat with bare hands and brought it into the park visitor center on Thursday, June 18. The visitor or their parent or guardian should contact a medical provider or local health department right away to discuss whether rabies post‑exposure treatment is recommended. They are also asked to contact White Sands National Park at WHSA_Interpretation@nps.gov.
White Sands National Park will host its first Full Moon Night event of the year on Monday June 29, 2026, at 8 p.m. in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. In partnership with Western National Parks, White Sands is pleased to welcome back the 1st Armored Division Rock Band at the park’s amphitheater for a special performance at the park's June Full Moon Night event.
White Sands National Park and park partner Western National Parks will host a special presentation on Sunday May 31, 2026, at 1 pm, in the visitor center theater. Author and photographer Craig Varjabedian will share observations from his time photographing White Sands National Park and discuss his experiences exploring the park’s dunefield.
White Sands National Park, in partnership with the Western National Parks Association, will host Hubbell Trading Post’s Navajo Rug Show in the park’s visitor center courtyard from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26. Visitors can experience the culture and heritage of the Navajo people while browsing and learning about hundreds of handcrafted Navajo rugs from the oldest continuously operating trading post in the American Southwest.
White Sands National Park will host its September Full Moon Night event on Sunday September 7, 2025, at 7:00 pm. In partnership with Western National Park, we are pleased to have Randy Granger from Las Cruces, New Mexico perform at the park's September Full Moon Night event.
White Sands National Park will hold its July Full Moon Night event on Thursday July 10, 2025, at 8:00 pm. In partnership with Western National Parks, we are pleased to welcome the Out Cats for a performance at the park’s July Full Moon event. The Out Cats are a blues duo from Las Cruces, New Mexico that play a wide variety of blues, from Robert Johnson through Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, up to the Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers, and Jeff Beck.
White Sands National Park will hold its first Full Moon Night event of the year on Wednesday June 11, 2025, at 8:15 pm. In partnership with Western National Parks, we are pleased to welcome the 1st Armored Division Rock Band for a performance at the park's June Full Moon Night event.
Join us as White Sands National Park celebrates the park’s fifth anniversary of becoming a national park by hosting special programs at the visitor center during the week of December 16 – 20, 2024.
White Sands National Park will honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day by holding a special concert on Thursday October 17, 2024, at 6:30 pm. In partnership with Western National Parks Association, we are pleased to have Randy Granger from Las Cruces, New Mexico perform at the park's October Full Moon Night event.
White Sands National Park will hold September’s Full Moon Night event on Tuesday September 17, 2024, at 7:00 pm featuring a performance by the Rio Grande Revelers Dixieland Jazz Band.
White Sands National Park, National Park Service proposes changes to amenity fees for enhanced visitor services including, ranger-guided hikes and the addition of an evening program, as part of its commitment to improving the visitor experience.
A new National Park Service report shows that 729,096 visitors to White Sands National Park in 2023 spent $44.5 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 595 jobs in the local area and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $53.4 million.
White Sands National Park will hold August’s Full Moon Night event on Monday, August 19, 2024, at 8:00 pm. Join Resource Management Program Manager, David Bustos who will explore the fascinating story of prey and predators as he guides you through a journey of life here at White Sands that will take you back to 23,000 years ago.
In partnership with Western National Parks Association, we are pleased to host a ranger presentation at the White Sands July Full Moon Night event on July 21, 2024, at 8:00 pm. The ranger presentation will explore the different jobs rangers of the park do to help preserve and protect the resources the White Sands has to offer. The presentation will also cover volunteer opportunities and the park’s junior ranger program.
White Sands National Park will hold its first Full Moon Night event of the year on Friday, June 21, 2024, at 8:15 pm featuring a performance by Mariachi Aguilas de Las Cruces.
At White Sands National Park, visitation numbers increased nearly 23,000 or 3% over 2022. The 729,096 visits in 2023 mark the park’s second highest visitation on record. The park’s highest visitation on record was in 2021, with 782,469 visits.
White Sands National Park will host nine ranger guided Moonlight Hikes between March and November 2024. These programs give visitors a chance to enjoy the peace and serenity of this elusive environment after dark and experience stories and resources the park has to offer.
